Rebecca Clarkson: Year Three
by princess-katie
Summary: Teacher Becky Clarkson returns for another year at Waterloo Road and faces difficulties coping with a friend's death and problems in her relationship with handsome headmaster Jack Rimmer, for starters. Can she find her way through a new school year?
1. Holidays

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Author's Note: This is the third in a series - the first two can be found on my profile - but you don't have to read the others to read this. All you need to know is, Tom Clarkson's younger sister Rebecca came to teach at Waterloo Road and got together with Jack Rimmer.**

Chapter One

It was the last week of August, and Rebecca Clarkson sat on the sofa in the living room of the house she lived in with her boyfriend and foster daughter.

Rebecca was a history teacher at Waterloo Road high school, and would be starting her third year at the school in a weeks time. She loved her job there, and shortly after starting, had fallen head over heels in love with the handsome headmaster and had moved in with him within 7 months.

When she'd started at Waterloo Road, it had been ideal, not least because her brother, who she'd always been very close to, worked there as an english teacher, along with two women who'd been her friends for a long time - Izzie and Lorna, also english teachers. Lorna had been married to Tom, before they split up and he got with the real love of his life, Izzie.

Becky had also become good friends with the head of pastoral care, Kim, and the deputy head, Andrew.

Now, things had all changed.

About to start her third year of teaching at Waterloo Road, Becky could hardly believe how much her life had changed.

7 months ago, Lorna had killed herself after finding out she had MS and deciding it was too much to deal with, and two months ago, Izzie had been stabbed in the school playground by a drug dealer, and died in Jack's arms. To add to that, Kim and Andrew had upped and moved to Rwanda.

Becky had struggled to come to terms with it and had spent most of the summer flitting between home, and the house where devastated Tom lived with Izzie's teenage daughters.

Tom and the girls were coping now, and Becky had managed to pull herself together, but she couldn't deny it had had a huge effect on her relationship with Jack.

Jack was haunted by the memories of Izzie dying while he couldn't do anything, and he blamed himself very strongly. He had constant nightmares and barely slept, and he seemed to be finding it difficult to cope, no matter how much Becky tried to help.

Becky was lost and didn't know what to do, and the strain it put on her relationship was immense, but Jack was trying to keep it together and make it ok for her.

It didn't help that Tom had refused to come to the house all summer, claiming he didn't want to be around Jack. Becky had told him it was ridiculous but it was clear that Tom blamed Jack.

Becky hated that but didn't mention it to either of them, because she didn't want to fall out with eitehr, but she felt caught between them.

She hated being stuck in the middle and sometimes didn't know which way to turn.

Jack had left multiple messages on Tom's phone and tried to go to the house, but Tom didn't return any of the messages, and didn't answer the door when Jack turned up, and Becky was close to losing her temper with him, however much Jack tried to soothe her.

The door of the house opened, and Becky smiled when she heard Jack's voice.

" Hey honey! " he called out, " I'm home! "

Becky smiled as she looked up from her book and looked at the teenage girl sitting across the room, lost in the latest celebrity magazine. " And the peace is shattered," she said, shaking her head.

She and Jack had taken in 17 year old Maxine Barlow almost a year ago. She was a Waterloo Road pupil who'd given up attended months ago, and when they came across her she was addicted to everything under the sun, courtesy of no good boyfriend Lewis Seddon, and was living in a burnt out car before Jack and Becky covinced her to go back to her mother.

After her mother's boyfriend turned out to be a pervert attacking local school girls, and her mother choice him over her own daughter, Maxine was left with nowhere.

Now, after almost a year, it seemed like Maxine was their own daughter and they loved her as such.

Maxine was something of a daddy's girl despite not actually being their daughter, and although Jack could be harsh with her, he was protective and loved her, and she always made him feel a little better.

" In here, Jack," Becky called with a smile.

Jack appeared in the doorway with a smile, dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt and looking worn out. He passed Maxine, who was sitting near the door, and ruffled her hair as he did so, " Hey kiddo," he said.

Maxine rolled her eyes, " Jack! I'm not a kid! "

Maxine loved both Jack and Becky, and she loved how they were so solid and such a strong couple. They cared for her as much as parents did and they helped her and cared for her much more than her own mother and the dad she never knew, ever did. Yet she was also able to mess around with them a bit, and tease them both. She and Becky messed about, went shopping, talked about boys and poured over magazines and make up counters in the shops, and she and Jack lazed around with takeaway and pizza and homework - Jack would always make time to help Maxine with her work regardless of how much of his own paperwork he had to do.

Jack moved towards Becky and he leaned down to where she was sitting in the armchair and brushed his lips against hers lightly. She smiled and reached up to lay a hand on his cheek as she kissed him back, and he smiled and then planted a kiss on her cheek too.

" How was your day? " she asked him as he turned back around and slumped down onto the sofa, beside Maxine, resting his hands on her stomach as closing his eyes.

" Tiring," he said.

Becky smiled at her husband to be.

Jack had proposed to her at Christmas, and they'd agreed to get married the following Christmas as it would give them time to plan the wedding, save up, and because Becky's favourite time of year was Christmas.

" That's what you get for deciding to paint the school yourself," she told him, " though I wish you'd let me see it. "

" I've _told _you," he said, shaking his head as he opened his eyes again, " I don't want you to see it until it's finished, it's my masterpiece. "

Becky smiled.

Jack had decided at the beginning of the summer, that he wanted to help the school with a new image and make the new year Waterloo Road's best ever. As well as the new refurbishments that were taking place, he'd decided he wanted to use the blank walls of the staircase to make a big painting.

Jack had been quite big on art before he went to university and had been something of a dab hand.

He'd decided to take on the task of painting the walls around the staircase with designs and pictures, and Becky secretly thought it was a good way to keep his mind off it.

She privately didn't think he was ready to go back to work next week - he was quite frankly a mess, and he'd been working long and hard all summer.

The painting had been a good way to take his mind off it, but he'd also been busy employing a new deputy head and meeting with him, and organising all of the paperwork and making the arrangements for a new school year.

" But I really want to see it," Becky told him.

Jack smiled fondly, " You can see it next week, just like everyone else, love," he told her. He turned to Maxine, " what have you two been doing then? "

Maxine smiled, " Becky took me shopping. "

Jack smiled in amusement, " Did she now? " he asked, glancing at Becky and back again at Maxine, " Well, _I _think Becky spends too much time spending too much of my money. "

" Hey! " Becky protested, " I earn money too, you know. In fact, when I went shopping, the money came out from _my _bank account. "

Jack smiled, ignoring his future wife and asking Maxine, " Did she buy you anything nice? "

" Few new tops and some shoes," Maxine replied, " and a handbag and a bit of make up. "

Jack smiled, " I think she's spoilt you. "

Maxine smiled and nodded, before closing her magazine. " I'm going to go upstairs," she said.

Jack pouted when she stood up, " Hope you're not going on _my _account. "

" Don't be stupid," she said, shaking her head and causing Becky to burst out laughing, " Janeece reckons she's got something to tell me, and if she can't text me now because she's gone over the limit on her free texts. "

Becky smiled, " Just ignore your stupid insecure dad, sweetie. I'll get some tea cooking now he's home, and I'll shout you in a bit. "

Maxine nodded and left the room, with a smile for Jack, and when she'd gone Jack looked across at Becky. " Come here," he said.

She raised her eyebrows, " Little bit bossy today, aren't we? "

He smiled irresistably, " Come here," he repeated, holding his arms out. She smiled and stood up, putting her book down on the armchair before crossing the small space between the armchair and the sofa.

Jack touched her waist and pulled her down into his lap and she smiled and settled against him, her arms around his neck.

The 29 year old history teacher smiled at her handsome 38 year old fiance and her eyes wandered across his face. He was looking tired and exhausted but for once, it didn't look like he was tired with the stress and the pain. He was tired from a long day of work, but he looked rather happy.

" D'you realise you just referred to me as Maxine's dad? " he asked her happily.

Becky thought about it and she shook her head, " Did I? "

He nodded, " Yeah, you did. "

She smiled, " And how does that make you feel? "

He grinned, " I love it. "

Becky grinned. She'd long since thought of she and Jack as Maxine's parents, though Maxine had never called them mum and dad due to being 16 when she came to them.

" D'you want to know something? " Becky asked, reaching out with one hand to trace the outline of his jaw with her index finger lightly, " I think you'd make such a good daddy. "

Jack smiled and was about to say something when the doorbell rang.

He rolled his eyes and said, " Guess we'll finish this conversation later. "

" Maybe it's Tom," Becky said hopefully, clambering off Jack and heading into the hallway. Jack sighed as he watched her go - he knew she was hoping for Tom to come around and talk to Jack, and tell him it was ok, but he thought it was unrealistic, and he didn't blame Tom for blaming him for Izzie's death.

He did blame Tom for hurting Becky by forcing her between the pair of them.

He heard Becky open the door, and he heard voices, and the next thing he knew Donte was lingering in the doorway of the living room.

" Alright, Mr Rimmer? " he asked.

Jack nodded, trying to muster up a smile, though he didn't quite manage one, " Donte," he nodded.

Becky appeared in the doorway behind the teenage boy and she nudged him into the rom, a hand in the small of his back, " Hey, sit down," she said, " can I get you a drink? "

" Nah, I'm ok," he said, " I just dropped by for a quick chat. "

Donte Charles was a pupil at the school, and the same age as Maxine. He was dating one of Izzie's daughters and had been for at least two years.

Becky had been at school with his mother, who got pregnant with him whilst still at school, and Becky was his godmother. Donte's mother had got depression and walked out long ago, but it never stoppd Becky from helping him and being there.

Jack wasn't overly keen on Donte, who was something of a bad boy, but he had to admit, the boy was more or less family now.

Donte sat in the armchair so he wouldn't have to sit beside Jack - if he was honest, he thought Jack was a decent bloke, but he wished he wasn't the headmaster. He knew if his godmother's boyfriend was anyone other than the school's headmaster, he'd probably be pretty good friends with him.

Becky followed him into the room and sat back down beside Jack, reaching out to rest her hand on his knee. He smiled in response and rested his hand on top of hers.

" What's going on, sweetie? " Becky asked her godson when she realised that he looked worried.

Donte sighed before looking at her, " I wanted to ask you something about Chlo. "

Becky raised her eyebrows, " About Chlo? "

He nodded, before swallowing and looking very serious, and causing Becky to glance worriedly at Jack, who smiled a little and and brushed his thumb against the back of his her hand, as her hand squeezed his knee a little.

Donte took a deep breath before saying, " We're gonna get married. "

Becky was stunned and she raised her eyebrows, " Married? Really? "

" Yeah," Donte said, " I mean, I'm 16, and she's just turned 16 - we can get married now, and I love her. We're going to get married. "

" When? " Becky asked, still stunned.

" As soon as," he said.

Becky couldn't believe it and she said, " I ... you're serious? I mean, sweetie, you're so young, and you're still in high school, and ... is it really the right time, and the best thing to do and ... oh, sweetie, have you thought about this? "

Donte looked a little offended and said, " I didn't come here for a lecture, Rebecca, I came to tell you. I thought you might like to know. But you've got to promise not to tell Tom - Chlo wants to tell him herself. "

It occured to Becky that Donte must have a lot of real trust for Jack, to talk about this in front of him.

" Wait," Becky said, shaking her head, " sweetie, I'm not trying to have a go, but are in the right place to get married? You're 16! You haven't been together that long, have you? You both live at home ... is this really a good idea? "

" We've been together nearly 3 years," Donte protested, " that's longer than you two have been together, and _you're _getting married. "

" That's different," Jack protested, " we're older than you, we're stable. "

" Me and Chlo are stable," Donte insisted, " we love each other and we want to make a commitment. I just thought you might like to know. "

" But when? " Becky asked.

" Soon," Donte replied.

" Toms going to murder you," Becky said, shaking her head, " it was nice knowing you. "

" He hasn't got any reason to be mad at me," Donte said, " Chlo and me have been together years, and we love each other - why can't we be allowed to show each other that? This is what we both want. "

" Ok," Becky said, " listen, I'm not going to argue with you, Donte because you've clearly made your mind up about this and if I know you and Chlo, I know you won't be changing your mind any time soon. But I've got to say, I think Tom's going to go mental and I can understand why. I mean, if _my _teenage girl was getting married to a 16 year old with no real prospects, I'd - "

" Becky," Jack mumbled, squeezing his hand in an effort to try and silence her when he realised she was digging herself a hole, although he didn't think the marriage was such a good idea either, but didn't think it was his place to do anything.

Becky smiled a little at Donte and said, " I just think you need to consider it properly - you're still very young, and marriage might be better suited for someone older with more prospects. You two should really talk to Tom, and don't ... do anything rash. "

Donte nodded, before standing up, " Just ... so you know ... " he told her, " Chlo and me _do _have prospects. I'm going to go into business and Chlo's gonna do her hairdressing ... it's gonna be mint. "

Becky sighed, " Just think about what you're doing, sweetie. I think it's great that you want to make a commitment to each other and that you love each other, but just ... I think you should talk to Tom before you do anything because after everything Chlo's been through, she needs her family on side. "

" Well, thanks for listening," Donte said, " but I'd better get going, or my dad'll be wondering where I am - just thought I'd call in. "

Becky nodded and after she and Jack had said goodbye to Donte, and she'd showed him out, Becky returned to the living room, looking stunned.

" Well," she said, " that's a bit of a suprise. "

Jack nodded, " Tom's going to murder Donte," he said with a little smirk.

Becky nodded. She thought it was sweet that Donte and Chlo wanted to get married and she wished they'd wait a while before getting married, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it, and she supposed even Tom would have to accept that Chlo was growing up, and try and be supportive. She wondered if she should mention it to Tom but supposed it was for them to tell Tom themselves.

She absent mindedly wandered over to the fireplace and picked up a shiny plaque from the mantle piece and reached for a duster lying around from when she'd dusted the day before.

She started to wipe at the golden plaque and as she did so with care, a proud smile crossed her face.

" Will you put the damned thing down? " Jack demanded, glaring at it with disdain, " I've already told you I don't want it on show. "

" It's a _national bravery award," _Becky told him, shining it up, " it shows everyone you're a hero. "

" And it's ego centrical to have it on the mantle," Jack grumbled, " not to mention it's a reminder. Are you _trying _to get me sent back to that stupid woman? "

Becky rolled her eyes as she carefully put the award down - Jack had recieved it along with a medal of honour for talking a dangerous drug dealer in his own playground.

" That stupid woman," she told him, " is a top psychologist who helped you. "

Jack huffed, " Only because you forced me to go. "

" It was for your own good, and it was a damned sight better than the pills the stupid doctor gave you," she told him, though an amused smile tugged at her lips, " now stop being Mr Grumpy," she said, moving towards him.

He sighed and relented, stretching his arms to her.

She smiled and slid into his lap again.

She often felt like a teenager when she was with him, and he didn't seem his age either. In fact, she was certain that a man of his age shouldn't be half as adorable and sweet as he was, but somehow, he was simply adorable and had a boyish quality to him, but with all the charms of a man.

One of the things that had so attracted Becky to Jack in the first place had been his irresistable magnetism - he'd been so sexy in the way he moved and the way he smiled at her sometimes, but looked at her seriously other times in this strong manly way. And the way he had an answer for everything, always with a smile.

They made an attrative couple - Becky was short and dark haired with bright blue eyes and a dazzling grin, and Jack was dark haired with steely blue-grey eyes and a sexy smirk.

They still found each other as attractive as they had almost two years ago and were still very close and loved moments alone like this where they could just be together.

Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his lips in her hair, finding her ear, the cold tip of his nose brushing against her cheek and making her giggle.

" You're beautiful, Rebecca," he told her, his breath tickling her ear.

She smiled and leaned away from him just enough that she could turn her head to the side and plant a suprise kiss on his lips.

He smiled and she reached out to cup his cheek with one hand, " You're a hero, Jack, I hope you know that. You're _my _hero. " She sighed happily and it made him smile even wider as she added, " Never thought I'd be living with a real life hero. "

He reached up to take her hand from his cheek and he kissed the back of her hand before holding it, and lacing his fingers between hers.

" I might have been doing a bit of thinking," Jack said.

" Yeah? " Becky asked curiously.

He nodded, " How d'you facy having hero kids? "

She laughed at the thought of it, though she couldn't deny she liked the idea of it, and once she looked at him properly, she saw he was grinning, but he was serious.

" Kids? " she asked him, " you want to have kids? "

Jack grinned, " Maybe I don't want one to appear tomorrow, but ... " he took a breath and said, " I've kind of been thinking for a while, and I know there's nothing more I want than to have a family with a beautiful wife. "

Becky grinned, " Are you asking me to have your babies? " she asked.

Jack shrugged, though there was a glimmer in his eyes, " I'm asking you your opinion," he said coyly.

Becky grinned, " When d'you want to get started? "

Jack laughed and leaned in to steal a kiss from her, " You've no idea how happy I am to be with you," he said, " I think we'd make excellent parents. "

Becky smiled and she nodded, " I think you're right," she said, " I want us to have a family too. I know we've got Maxine, but I'd like a couple of our own. "

Jack nodded, " A little girl with mum's looks and dad's brains," he said.

Becky shot him a mock glare at the insinuation that he was the brainy one, but the look on his face meant she couldn't even pretend to be mad for a moment, and she nodded, " When I met you, I never thought you were the family type. "

Jack squeezed her hand, " Well, I've got the right woman now, haven't I? Don't get me wrong, I want to be able to have you all to myself for a while longer first. "

Becky nodded, but she was thrilled to know that a baby was on the cards, somewhere down the line.

" Maybe after we get married," Jack said, leaning in again, " honeymoon baby. "

Becky smiled happily and closed her eyes as their lips met.


	2. First Day

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Two

" Maxine! We're going! Maxine! " Jack shouted up the stairs a week later, as Becky pulled on her coat beside him, buttoning it up over her smart skirt and top.

Becky reached out and laid her hand on his arm, " Calm down," she said softly, " you're so tense. "

He sighed, " I'm just so ... well, you know ... "

She nodded and called, " Maxine, we're off! We'll see you at school! "

Jack was scheduled to appear on the local radio station that morning, along with his new deputy head, to talk about the new policies for the school and how he intended to turn Waterloo Road around after last term's tragedy.

Today was also the first day of term, and they were going straight from the radio station to work. Becky had agreed to go with him because she thought he needed the support, and she wanted to be there for him afterwards.

Maxine would be walking to school with Janeece instead.

" Ok! " Maxine called back at them, " see you later! "

" Ready, honey? " Becky asked as she looked at him,.

" No," he said, pouting.

Becky smiled a little, " Don't worry about it," she told him, " you're going to do fine - you're the best headmaster Waterloo Road's had in years, and you totally care about those kids. All you have to do is go out there and be honest- just tell them about the policies you planned out over the summer, and exactly what you want to do with the school. And you'll have your new deputy too - you're going to be fine, and I'll be waiting for you, in the car, when you're done. "

Jack rolled his eyes, " The last thing I want is to go talk about it all on the radio, you know. "

" You're going to be brave," Becky said, " just like a real hero, yeah? "

Jack nodded and Becky smiled, reaching up to straighten his tie. She straightened his tie for him with a smile before yanking open the front door.

As she left the house, she felt Jack grab hold of her hand for some kind of comfort and she smiled and squeezed his hand.

She walked over to the car - they settled for the clapped out old banger that belonged to Jack. Jack had bought Becky a new shiny car last summer, and they now had two cars and alternated between which they used.

They drove to the local radio studio and when they got there, Jack unfastened his seatbelt and took a deep breath.

Becky reached out and rested her hand on his leg, her palm over his knee as she squeezed.

Jack sighed and gently pushed her hand off his leg, and she sighed. She was only trying to confort him,and it kind of hurt that he'd withdrawn from great deals of physical contact since Izzie's death.

He'd always had a high sex drive and they had a strong relationship, but since Izzie's death, he was less interested, and even the little touches seemed to be lacking recently. He'd playfully pull her into his lap often and kiss her, but sometimes it was like he just wasn't interested - like he couldn't bring himself to.

Jack seemed to realise that he'd pushed her hand away afterwards because he smiled at her apologetically, and immediately took hold of her hand again, " I'm sorry, love," he said, " you know how it is ... under a lot of stress. "

Becky nodded, but Jack could still sense her disappointment.

" Hey," he said, squeezing her hand, " I really _am _sorry, Becky. I know you've had to put up with a lot from me. I'm sorry, Rebecca. I'm going to make it all up to you really soon, I promise. "

" Don't be stupid," Becky said, " you've had it tough, honey. "

Jack sighed, " Well, I'm all better now, aren't I? It's all going to be ok, from now on. "

Becky wasn't fully convinced but she nodded nonetheless and Jack sighed, " Come on, love," he said, " I'm sorry for how I've been, and everything you've had to cope with. The nightmares, the panic attacks - I'm sorry. And I know I might have been neglecting you a little. "

" You haven't," she told him, worried that he'd make himself worse by worrying about her.

Jack nodded, " Yeah, well ... this radio show is the last step. After that, it's all done and we can go back to work and _you _can go to work at take the school by storm as head of pastoral care, can't you? "

Becky smiled and Jack grinned, leaning in and stealing a kiss from her before opening the car door, " Got to go now," he said.

" Good luck," Becky said, watching him go, and biting down on her lip nervously.

Jack gave her a smile before he headed into the building, and Becky could relax.

She thought maybe he'd be alright after this - maybe he'd be able to put it all behind him and they could start the new school year off properly - maybe it would all be ok.

Some part of her doubted this but she knew they has to just move forwards and focus on the school.

There was a new deputy for this year, who would also be appearing on the radio with Jack, and Becky hadn't met him, though Jack had had a few meetings with him and seemed satisfied.

Along with Becky's new pastoral care headship, this meant a new management team and hopefully they'd be stronger than ever.

She was looking forward to a new year and being able to move forwards from the last year.

As Jack was on the radio, she listened to him talk about how he wanted to improve the school, and she heard the dj ask him about his bravery award - she knew he hadn't really appreciated recieving a bravery award. He'd told her at the time, that it seemed stupid to have an award when a woman had died in his arms.

As she was trying to listen to the radio her phone rang, and Becky scrabbled about in her bag for it, before finding it, pulling it out, and seeing that Tom was calling.

She'd visited Tom regularly over the summer and they'd both chosen not to speak about his obvious recent disdain for Jack, but she was getting more and more worked up, and the fact that he neglected Jack's calls and wouldn't come to their house if he knew Jack was there, made her very close to blowing up at him, even though Jack tried to assure her he didn't blame Tom for blaming him for Izzie.

She and her brother had last seen each other a week ago, when Becky had called around to have dinner with them -she'd become very close to both of the girls and knew they appreciated her being there.

" Hello? " she said, answering the phone and trying to concentrate on the radio.

" Hey Becks, it's me," Tom said.

" Hi Tom," she said, still trying to listen to the radio, " what's up? "

" Chlo wants to know if she left her black cardigan at your place when she slept the other night," he told her.

Becky smiled, " Yeah, she did," she replied, " it was in Maxine's room - tell her not to worry about it - I've picked it up and I'll give it back to her today. "

" Cheers," Tom nodded, " she's been worrying about that. Guess I'll see you at school then. "

" Alright Tommy, see you later," she smiled.

She listened to the rest of the radio show, and she was very proud of her boyfriend. She knew how much he was struggling, and he was still popping those pills and hoping the nightmares would go away, so she was proud that he'd managed to go out there, pull himself together and give it a shot.

He always spoke about the school passionately and although he didn't always follow the strictest rules, he got the job done.

Jack was the kind of person who didn't care how things got done as long as they got done, and they worked. As head of pastoral care Becky knew she'd be working a lot more closely with him in terms of the school, and she was looking forward to being able to work with him, though she was hoping their working relationship wouldn't mirror the previous management arguments of Kim and Andrew, and often Kim and Jack, and Andrew and Jack.

When the dj thanked Jack and his new deputy Eddie Lawson - who spoke of his happiness at being involved in Waterloo Road and in what Jack was doing - Becky knew they'd be coming out soon, and she looked at the door.

After a few minutes, the door opened, and Jack appeared several feet away, hands stuffed deep in his pockets and his tie loosened, while Becky got her first good look at Eddie Lawson.

He was a tall man - taller than Jack - and had short greying hair and looked a good ten years older than Jack. She watched the two of them exchange a few words before Jack was making his way over to the car.

She grinned, and no sooner had he got into the car, had she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. He seemed a bit taken aback but returned the kiss as soon as he'd overcome the initial suprise.

" How did I do? " he asked nervously as they broke apart.

She smiled softly, " You did great," she told him, " _and _you sounded dead sexy. "

He smirked, " That's because I _am _dead sexy. "

She nodded, before telling him, " I'm so proud of you, you know - I mean, you've overcome your worries to go on there, even though you didn't want to, and you've shown the parents and everyone involved in the school that you're committed. Most men would have chucked the towel in after what happened, you know, but not you. You're so brave Jack, you're just ... you're such a hero. "

" Well," he said modestly, " how about we just get to school and start the year off. We've got a job to do. "

She nodded as he put the keys in the ignition and twisted.

" I've got to tell you something though," she said, reaching out and resting her hand on his leg, just above his knee while he prepared the car to move off. He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her, though he made no movement.

" Sounds serious," he said.

She shook her head, still smiling, and allowed her hand to slide up his leg a little as she knew it infuriated him when she teased him like that, " I just can't wait to be Mrs Rimmer. "

He smiled - a soft, happy smile and he said, " Mrs Rimmer. Doesn't that sound great? "

She nodded and he leaned in and pecked her lips, while she took advantage of the situation and slid her hand further up his leg until it was dangerously high, her slender hand caressing his inner thigh.

" Rebecca," he said, shaking his head, " we sort of have to go to work. "

She pouted and to satisfy her, he leaned over and gave her another kiss, before she slid her hand from his leg.

When they got to school, the car park was milling with teachers and pupils wandering around, although the school was only open to the staff at the moment.

Becky got out of the car and she grinned as she looked around the car park - she loved the school, and was looking forward to a new school year. She pulled her coat around her tighter against the autumn chill, and she opened the boot of the car and took out a big cardboard box.

When she turned around from the boot, Jack was standing close to her, and she grinned at him, only the cardboard box between them.

" I'll let you get to your new office," he said, reaching out behind her and putting the boot down, " I've got to go meet with Eddie, but you'll be along for the management meeting soon? "

When she nodded, he held out a set of keys.

She grinned and took the keys from him and he said, " You're going to do a great job, Becky, I'm looking forward to working with you this year. "

She grinned, " Me too," she said.

As she turned towards the school, Jack said, " Hey - wait. " She turned around and he took the box from her and put it on the roof of the car, and before she could move, he'd taken hold of her at the waist and pushed her up against the car.

She laughed and said, " You're in a good mood. You haven't been this frisky since ... well, you know. "

He shrugged, pressing his body against hers, " I figure it's time I stop neglecting you and pay you some special attention. "

She laughed again and tried to push him away, a hand on his chest, " Not in the school car park, naughty boy! "

He pouted, and she saw the lust clouding in his eyes. She grinned and reached out to cup his cheek, " How about you come to the office later on? " she asked him, " _my _office, that is. Maybe we could christen it. "

" I'll think about it," smirked Jack, leaning back a bit and planting a kiss on her lips before burying one hand in her hair. She kissed back and as Jack slipped his tounge into her mouth, it was in danger of becoming too heated a kiss, and she laid her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back a bit.

He licked his lips and said, " You go on ahead, gorgeous, I've got to meet Eddie, but I'll see you in a bit. "

She nodded and her boyfriend reached out and picked up the cardboard box from the roof of the car and put it into her outstretched arms while she jangled the keys.

" See you in a bit," Becky grinned.

She walked into school feeling proud of herself, and once she got to the pastoral care office, she grinned. The thought of getting a promotion and Jack trusting her to be have the role, thrilled her, and as she tried to juggle the cardboard box and the set of keys, she heard a voice from behind her.

" Ooh, taking your place in your new office are you? "

Becky turned around to see Steph standing there and she smiled a little, though she didn't like the woman, " Wel, duty calls," she said.

" Duty," Steph scoffed, " well, I hope you're happy with your new job. "

Becky knew Steph wasn't really happy, and she nodded, " I'm sure I will be. Pastoral care's such a great opportunity, isn't it? "

" Well, I wouldn't know," Steph said, as Becky just wished she'd go away, " as you probably know, I applied for the role too. "

" I know," Becky nodded, trying not to smirk, " and it's unlucky for you that you didn't get the job, but I suppose the best woman really did get the job. "

Steph shook her head, " I'm fairly sure the _headmaster's _best woman got the job - not neccessarily the best woman for the actual job. "

" Jack knows a good employee when he sees one," Becky replied coldly, twisting the key in the office door.

Steph shook her head and started to walk away, " Jack knows how to keep his latest girl sweet, I think you'll find. "

Becky rolled her eyes but she didn't let it phase her and she opened the office door. When she walked into the office, she flicked the switch on, and then she smiled softly.

Jack had spent a lot of time in the school over the summer, painting the walls, and trying to keep his mind off things, and he'd clearly spent some time on her new office too.

Her name had been put on the door, under the words "Head of Pastoral Care. " When she looked around the room, she saw that the previously murky beige walls of Kim Campbell's office were redecorated as sky blue, bright walls, which someone had clearly painted carefully, and there were new curtains, a fluffy rug in the middle of the room, a new big pine desk and a new sofa with pretty cushions was pushed up against one wall, alongside the many filing cabinets and shelves.

She smiled and put down the box of things she'd brought with her to make the office more homey, alongside some of her work folders, on her desk.

As she looked down at the desk, she saw a pink post-it note with curvy handwriting on, and she reached out and picked it up.

It read "_Hope you like the office, gorgeous. You're going to do great."_

She smiled at the thought that Jack had gone to the effort of decorating the office for her, alongside doing all his setting and preparing for the new year, and taking on the project of painting a big muriel over the main staircase.

She unpacked her box and set about putting a couple of photographs around the desk, before organising all of her folders so she knew where they all were.

Once she'd got everything sorted, she left the office and started for Jack's for the first management meeting of the year.

Jack's office was upstairs and Becky's new office downstairs. She clip-clopped through the corridors in her shiny black heels and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

She grinned as she looked up the main staircase and she saw that the previously plain white wall was now covered in colour all the way from the top of the staircase to the bottom.

Jack had painted the waterloo road name and logo in the middle and surrounded it with a banner, and with the colourful patterns all the way around, it looked fantastic.

She was very proud of him, and thought it was great that he'd had the chance to show off some of that artistic flair he'd had before he decided history was his real passion and went off to university.

She saw two men standing on the small strip between the first and second flight of stairs, their backs to her, and she smiled as she started her way up the stairs.

" This looks amazing," she said as she approached them.

The pair of them turned around when they heard her, and Becky was faced with her handsome boyfriend and another man - she recognised him as Eddie, the deputy she'd seen leaving the radio studio with Jack.

Eddie didn't recognise the woman, but as he looked at Jack, he noticed the slow smile that crossed the man's face, and knew exactly what the look in his eye was.

Eddie looked the woman up and down - she was short and curvy with dark hair, bright blue eyes, a wide smile and a pretty face, and she looked about ten years younger than Jack.

But the look that he noticed she and Jack share was unmistakeable, and as she reached them, he turned towards her.

He stuck out his hand to her and said, " You must be Mrs Rimmer. "

Becky laughed and shook her head a little, " Not quite," she said, " not yet," she added after a smile in Jack's direction, though she shook Eddie's hand anyway.

" Sorry," Eddie said, smiling apologetically, " I thought you two were married. "

" Nothing to apologise for," shrugged Becky, still smiling, " we're getting married in December. "

Jack took over the situation, and he gestured between the pair of them, " Eddie, this is my lovely fiance, Rebecca Clarkson, our head of pastoral care. Becky, Eddie Lawson, my new deputy. "

Eddie nodded his head at her, " I've heard a lot about you. "

Becky grinned, " Have you? All good things I hope? "

Eddie nodded, " Of course, although I must admit you're not quite what I expected. "

Jack frowned, " What's that supposed to mean? "

Eddie shrugged, as the three of them started walking towards Jack's office, and he told Jack, " I don't know. I think I was expecting middle age, plain. "

Becky laughed and Jack scoffed, " You think that's the best I can do? Middle aged and plain? "

" Boys," Becky said, rolling her eyes, " I'm not spending the entire year listening to you two trying to outdo each other and bicker. "

Jack sighed, " We're not! What did you think of your office, by the way.? "

Becky smiled, knowing she'd have stopped and pulled him in for a big hug had they been alone, " It's great, thank you. You didn't have to do it all up - it was ok as it was. "

" I wanted to," Jack replied.

She grinned, " Well, thank you, it's lovely. And the walls look great- you did a really good job. "

When they reached the office, the three of them went straight through after a quick hello to Jack's new secretary, Bridget. Eddie sat down on the new sofa Jack had had ordered in, and Becky sat down in an armchair by the window, that was also knew, before jack messed about looking for his folders and notes, and then set them all out on the coffee table before sitting down beside Eddie.

He showed them his notes and the plans of what he'd been working on, and once both Becky and Eddie had read it, they exchanged a look, and Eddie frowned at Jack, " You've created top sets in the GCSE groups? "

Becky frowned as she looked at him - she hadn't know Jack was planning this and she thought he might have mentioned it before now if he was going to do it at all.

" I thought you weren't going to set? " she asked him, " you didn't mention this. "

Jack shrugged, not quite meeting her eye, " I did a lot of work over the summer that you didn't know about - I had to keep my mind off things, didn't I? " Looking back at Eddie, he said, " I've done the allocating with the department heads. "

" But you said it would all be mixed ability at Waterloo Road," Eddie protested, while Becky looked down the list of new pupils.

" We've got to cater for the new intake," Jack replied.

Becky frowned, confused as to what was going on, and she said, " Half of this new intake isn't even in our catchment area, Jack. I was suprised when you told me we were getting lots of year tens, never mind these ones. "

Eddie nodded, " There's some bright kids here - not one of them below level seven on their SATs. Jack, if we stick to mixed ability, we'll raise the bar for all of the kids. "

" Yeah but lower it for all of these, " Jack argued, " think about it - setting for one year to kickstart results, pure learning, no distractions. We can get these lot through their GCSEs in one year, and our A to C grades will rocket. That's good publicity - feel good 'll set goals for the other kids and show them that nothing is impossible - that's what I want. "

Becky had to admit that she couldn't fault him for his passion but she wasn't quite sure she agreed with it, and she watched him get up and wander over to the window.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he looked out of the window and said, " Ah, we'd best roll out the red carpet. Here comes Karla Bentham. "

Becky groaned, " Jack, I've already told you, I don't know how to deal with a child with aspergers syndrome - we've already been through this. Talk about through me in at the deep end. "

Jack didn't seem to be listening to her, and as he headed for the door he said, " Come on gorgeous, inclusion, inclusion, inclusion. "

As he left, Becky shouted after him, " Boring, boring, boring. "

She ran her hand through her hair as she stood up and she shrugged at Eddie, " Welcome to Waterloo Road," she said, " you'll soon learn that that man is impossible. "

She started back towards her office where she had a lot of admin and paperwork to get in order before she went to her lessons, and as she was on her way to her office, she saw a man in front of her.

" Tom," she called out with a smile.

Her brother turned around on hearing her voice and smiled, and she said, " God, I haven't seen you in over a week - too long. "

Tom smiled and took a step closer to her, and they shared a big warm hug. When they broke apart, Becky asked, " How about you come around tonight, bring the girls, we'll have a meal and a few drinks? "

Tom pulled a face before telling her, " I'm not sure I fancy it. "

Immediately, Becky's smile faded as she sighed - she was just fed up of it all and she frowned at him, " How long is this going to go on for, Tommy? "

" As long as I feel like," he replied.

" This really isn't fair on Jack," Becky sighed, hoping she could plead with him, " it's gone on long enough, and he's devastated as it is, without this going on. "

Tom looked angry and he shook his head and said, " I know you're only trying to help, but I hope he is devastated! Good! All he had to do was play it by the book - call the cops, but he had to play the hero didn't he. And at least he's got a nice shiny medal for it now. "

Becky shook her head at him, and turned her back on him wordlessly, and they walked off in opposite directions. On her way down the corridor, Becky was furious, but as she passed Donte and Chlo in the corridor, whispering with Brett and Mika, she flashed them a smile.

She was quite glad when the bell rang, and she made her way to her first class of the day - a new buch of year sevens.

She wrote her name on the board for them and handed out exercise books and was in the process of handing out specifications when there was a knock at the door.

Bridget, the school secretary, walked in and she said, " Sorry, Miss Clarkson, but Mr Rimmer says Karla Bentham's gone walk about and he's hoping you'll find her and take her back to his office. "

Becky sighed, but she knew it was an order and not a request.

After requesting that her support assistant kept an eye on the class while they read the new specification, Becky left her classroom.

She wandered around, looking this way and that for Karla, and she eventually decided to try the school playground, and as soon as she left the school, she saw three girls.

A dark skined curly haired girl, and a short ginger girl, stood in front of Karla Bentham and Becky sighed - she didn't know how to deal with an aspergers kid, and she was worried.

" Girls? " Becky asked lightly, as she walked to them, " shouldn't you be in class? The bell went over ten minutes ago. "

The two of them sighed, though they obeyed her, and when left alone with the girl, Becky sighed and tried to be her most friendly and approchable as she said, " Karla Bentham? "

The girl nodded.

" Shouldn't you be sitting outside Mr Rimmer's office? "

" Mr Rimmer said to go outside," said Karla, clearly confused, " so I came outside. "

Becky shook her head a little, " I think he must have meant outside his office, please Karla, let's come inside. "

" But Mr Rimmer said to go outside," Karla protested.

Becky bit her lip and tried to think of a way to force the girl inside and she smiled and said, " Well now Mr Rimmer says to come inside. Come on, let's go to the office. "

Karla nodded though she didn't seem up for conversation, and Becky walked her back to Jack's office, where she found Jack standing in the doorway of his office, talking something through with his secretary.

He looked relieved when he saw that Becky had found Karla, and Bridget the secretary took the paper she and Jack had been looking at before sitting down at her desk, turning the computer screen to face her.

Becky shook her head at Jack and turned back to Karla, " Give us just one second," she said, before taking a step towards the office, and giving Jack the clear signal that she wanted to talk. Jack led her into the office.

" So," he said, " you'll take Karla to her class, won't you? I think she should be with Steph now. "

" Jack - " Becky started.

" And," he added, holding up a small bottle of pills, " Karla needs to be give one of these at break time - maybe you should handle it. They're to stop her being anxious. "

Becky sighed, " Jack," she said, " This is all - "

" I know, I know," he said, " you don't think you can do it, but I think you can. I've got every faith in you, Miss Clarkson. "

She sighed but nodded and as she turned to the door, Jack laid his hand on her shoulder, " Honestly," he said, " I wouldn't have taken her on if I thought she was a hard case. "

Just as he said that, Karla crossed the room, holding her watch up, and she said, " It's been 43 seconds. You said one second. "

Becky knew this wasn't going to be easy and she glanced at Jack over her shoulder. He gave her an apologetic sort of look and looked at her hopefully, " Team effort? " he asked.

Without a reply, Becky left the office, taking Karla with her.

She showed Karla to her french class, took Steph outside the room for a quick word and then gave her Karla's prescription, as Karla would be with Steph at the beginning of break, so she thought it made sense to have Steph administer them.

She quickly got back to her class, apologised to her year seven class and contiued with them. At the end of the lesson, she headed for her office, deciding break time was a good opportunity to get her files in order and get to grips with the pastoral care job.

After break, she had an hour free and she stayed in her office, after realising how much work there was to the role.

She was filling in some reports when there was a sharp knock at the door and she called out, " Come in! "

The door opened, and Davina walked in. Davina Shackleton had been the school secretary but was now a teaching assistant, and though Becky had initially disliked her they'd ended up getting on rather well.

Becky smiled, " Davina," she said, " can I help? "

Davina sighed, running her hand through her hair, " I was just in Grantly's class, with the new girl, Karla Bentham. " Becky wasn't sure she liked the sound of this, and Davina continued, " there's been an incident. "

" Incident? " Becky asked, raising her eyebrows.

Davina nodded, " It wasn't really Karla's fault though - Karla's been trying really hard, and Grantly really worked her up. It wasn't her fault. "

" What's happened? " Becky asked.

" She hit Grantly with a chair. "

" What? " Becky asked, standing up, " she did what? "

" I really don't think it was her fault," Davina said, " but Jack said I should get you to investigate it, and then I'm to report to him later on about it. He says you're to ask Karla about it, and leave her in the cooler over lunch, where I'll supervise her. He says he'll talk to you later about it all. "

Becky nodded, " I'll go now. I can't believe this. "

Becky was extremely stressed out, and she and Davina headed for the cooler. Becky couldn't believe this was happening, and the last thing she needed on her first day in her promotion was something of this magnitude to deal with, especially when she didn't know how to deal with an aspergers child and was worried about not doing the job justice in the first place.

Becky couldn't believe this, and she was furious.

When she found Karla in the cooler, running her hands through her hair frantically, she said, " Karla Betham, what were you thinking? "

" It wasn't my fault, miss," Karla sais, breathing deeply and shooting scared looks at Davina.

" But I have to get to the bottom of this," Becky told her," and I need to know what the hell was going through your mind? Miss Shackleton tells me you hit Mr Budgen with a chair! "

" He provoked me," Karla insisted.

" But that's not how you act in a school," Becky told the teenager, " you can't be like that. "

" But he provoked me," Karla repeated, louder.

Becky shook her head, " So you're going to hit me too, if you think I'm "provoking" you, are you? "

" Yes! " Karla snapped.

Becky sighed and took a breath while she took the time to think, before telling Karla, " You have to understand that as a school, we're thinking about everyone's welfare, and obviously the kind of behaviour you showed in Mr Budgens classroom put a teacher, and could have put pupils, at risk, and we can't have that. "

" But - " Karla said.

Becky cut her off, " No buts. You can't - "

Karla was suddenly making aggravated noises and she took a step forwards and raised her hand high i the air, like she was going to hit Becky.

Karla swung her hand, but Becky was quick enough to take a big step backwards and she stared at the pupil in shock - she'd almost been hit by the girl, on her first day.

She took a breath and then said, shaking her head and trying to remain calm, " It's lunch time now, and I'm going to leave you in Miss Shackleton's care. Someone will be along to talk to you later, but you need to think about the consequences of your actions. "

Becky left the room just as the bell went, and she made her way to the canteen while thinking about Karla and how best to handle situation.

Becky hadn't made any lunch the night before as she was too busy helping Jack through his worries about the radio show, and instead, she intended to buy a sandwich and drink from the school canteen.

She got in line with the rest of the pupils in the canteen and once she was at the front of the queue, Becky held out her sandwich and drink to the person behind the counter, and let out a little gasp when she saw him - Lewis Seddon.

Seddon, she'd always thought, was a bad one.

He'd tried to force himself on her almost two years ago and although she thought he'd reformed somewhat, he'd once gotten Maxine - then his girlfriend - hooked on drink and every drugs under the sun, and, and Becky and Jack thought she was absolutely no good for their foster daughter, coupled with the fact that his cousin had stabbed and killed izzie,

She always felt on edge around Lewis as it made her think back to the way he'd tried to sexually assult her all that time ago, and the way she knew he could manipulate poor Maxine if he wanted to, and Maxine had done so well without him.

" Alright Miss? " Lewis grinned.

" You're ... you're working here? " Becky asked, stunned as her heart beated ten times faster.

Lewis nodded, " Didn't Mr Rimmer tell you? Part of my probation - full time job now - trying to better myself, aren't I? "

Becky didn't repsond and she handed him her money - the exact correct amount - and walked away. Her head was spinning and when she walked into the corridor and took time to think about it, she was furious.

Jack was the headmaster, and he'd clearly known who was being employed, but just chosen not to tell her, despite the fact that he knew she'd be so panicked.

Jack had been furious after Lewis attempted attack on Becky and had worked very hard to throw Lewis out of the school, and succeeded. Becky had been terrified at the time and Jack had assured her that because he loved her, he wasn't going to let anything happen.

Becky took a breath and started towards the staff room, and on her way she saw her foster daughter and her best friend.

" Hi Miss," Janeece Bryant said brightly.

Becky smiled, pulling herself together, " Hi girls. You alright? "

Maxine grinned and glanced at Janeece before telling Becky, " I was thinking I'd go to Janeece's after school. "

Janeece giggled and Becky wondered if something was going on, but she then nodded, " Sure," she said, " just give me a ring later on and let me know if you're staying for tea or if you want me to cook you something, yeah? "

" Thanks," Maxine said, before she and Janeece hurried off down the corridor, whispering to each other. Becky smiled a little before continuing to the staffroom.

Once she got there, she'd had enough time to think about Lewis and she was still a little shaken up from that, and the fact that she'd almost been hit by a pupil.

She entered the staffroom looking pale and a little worried and she realised she'd interrupted Grantly commanding everyone's attention as he stood in the middle of the room.

When she came into the room, he sighed and looked accusingly at the young head of pastoral care, " And don't you start spouting Jack's inclusion policies and all that claptrap, because this is how it all ends up! "

Becky winced as she looked at Grantly's bloodied nose and she held her hands up in the air as a gesture of defence as she walked around the big new desks that had been ordered over the summer so she came to be near Tom and a woman she didn't recognise, " I hate to agree with you Grantly," sighed Becky, " but I think you might be right - tried to give me a slap too, and as if that wasn't enough, I've just gone into the canteen to find that Lewis flaming Seddon's working there. "

" Seddon? " Tom repeated angrily, " Lewis Seddon. "

Becky sighed, and for a moment, the arguments between them were over and she just needed her brother. She nodded, " Employing Lewis Seddon was bad enough, but without flaming _telling _me? I could kill him. I mean, one person I thought he'd never employ after what happened - a little warning might have been nice. And after Izzie - "

" That bloody idiot," Tom said, " want me to have a word with him? "

" No," Becky sighed, " it'll make things worse, I just - "

" I can't believe he'd just employ Seddon," Tom raged, " I mean, after you and Seddon, and Seddon and Maxine, and ... and Jed Seddon and Izzie ... why wouldn't he consider everyone else in this? "

Becky sighed, " I don't know, Tommy. "

Tom felt bad for arguing with her when his nickname slipped from her lips and he reached out to her, " Come here," he said, " you look like you could do with a big hug. "

" Yeah," Becky mumbled, allowing him to wrap her up in a hug, " but listen, don't make a fuss about Jack - _I'll _deal with it. "

Tom nodded and kissed the top of her tea, " Ok," he said, " and just so you know, I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier - we - we can't argue. "

Becky nodded and he knew from her smile that he was forgiven.

When they broke apart, she felt a little better, and she turned her eye to the woman standing beside Tom - the woman looked young, was pretty with curly black hair and looked to be at least part asian. She had a fresh faced looked about her, and also looked nervous too.

The woman gave her a smile, and Tom suddenly sprang to life.

" Sorry," he said, smiling at both women, "Becky, this is Jasmine Koreshi - our rookie - Jasmine, this is my sister Becky, she's head of pastoral care as of today. "

Becky smiled, " You're an NQT? Wow, nice to meet you - if there's anything I can do, just let me know. I've got a nice big office with comfy chairs and the lot. "

Jasmine smiled, " Well, um, thanks," she said, " and if you want to talk about ... anything - " she said awkwardly, though she was smiling.

Becky laughed a little, " You mean my idiot boyfriend? Well, I'll sort him out. "

" Boyfriend? " Jasmine asked, frowning. She'd gathered that Tom's sister was upset about something and annoyed about this Seddon person. She gathered that the Jack, both she and Tom were now angry with, was the headmaster, who'd interviewed her, but she didn't know where Becky's supposed boyfriend came into it.

Becky rolled her eyes, " My idiot boyfriend, the headmaster," she said, before feeling guilty for badmouthing him in front of someone who didn't know him, " although he's not half as bad as I make out that he is. He's lovely really. "

Behind her, she could hear Grantly rallying the rest of the staff.

He was making a big speech about how they as staff members needed to be protected, and how Jack wasn't providing that support for them.

Becky couldn't help but think that Grantly made a good point - they were at risk, and the support staff that Jack had promised hadn't turned up. Clearly no-one knew how to deal with Karla and she was a risk to them.

Becky didn't like to doubt Jack but she was worried.

She ate her lunch with Tom and Jasmine, while trying to ignore Grantly stirring things up, and by the time the bell rang for the end of lunch and start of a lesson, Grantly had gotten everyone so rallied up that they were preared to strike against Jack.

Becky didn't like the thought of acting against Jack when she was on his management team and knew that he was stuggling so much. But she was worried more about the Seddon thing as she thought it showed a lack of communication and showed that he wasn't thinking straight.

She decided to hang around the staffroom for a bit, and she was standing around the table with many over members of staff when the door flew open.

" What the hell are you lot doing in here? " Jack thundered as he stormed into the room, " It's armageddon out there - get back to your classrooms! "

Grantly shook his head, hands stuffed deep inside his pockets, " No-one's teaching until we get the support staff that your special wards require. "

" So you're all going on strike? " Jack scoffed, before looking around the room, where his eyes fell on Becky and he sighed, " Rebecca, you too? "

Becky couldn't meet his eyes, feeling embarrassed, and Tom, beside her, answered, " You can't expose another member of staff to the likes of that," he said, gesturing towards Grantly's face vaguely.

Jack shook his head, " D'you think I'd do anything to put any of you at risk? " he demanded, before looking at Becky, trying to plead with her, " Becky, please, would I put you at risk? "

Becky sighed, knowing he wouldn't put anyone at risk knowingly, and as she started to shake her head, Tom once again answered.

" Don't know what you'd do anymore," he said resentfully.

Jack met Tom's eyes with a steely glare and he knew that this was the head of the conflict between them. He took a deep breath and said coldly, " Bet you're loving this, aren't you? What is it, bit of revenge? Kick in the teeth? "

Tom shook his head, moving around the table to be closer to Jack, " Don't tempt me," he muttered.

Everyone was watching them intently and Becky knew that this wouldn't end well. She watched the two men square up to each other, though Tom was much shorter, and both looked furious. Becky noticed the look on her brother's face, and she sighed when Jack said,

" Go on then, if you want. "

There was a moment of complete silence before it happened. Tom had punched Jack straight in the face before anyone could do anything, and Becky watched in horror as Jack fell back against the table, before slowly straightening up, wiping at his mouth.

Tom grabbed hold of Jack's jacket and pulled him towards him, and Jack grabbed hold of Tom too.

In horror, Becky shook her head and pushed past a few members of staff, trying to get to Tom and Jack and pull them apart, but before she got there, Eddie did, and he prised them apart.

" That's it Tom," Jack said, wiping again at his mouth, which was bleeding, " get it out of your system. "

Eddie shook his head in disgust as the rest of the room watched in shock, " You're like a pair of flaming kids. "

Becky was completely stunned - every time she thought she and Tom had come to some kind of agreement about him treating Jack in a civil manner, Tom managed to defy her. She believed there was no need for his behaviour and Jack was suffering enough.

Only she could see the hurt in his eyes as he stood before the rest of the staff and she was absolutely furious, " Tom! " she yelled, in the otherwise silent room as she took a step towards him, " how could you? How could you? "

From behind her she heard a door slam and she whirled around to see that Jack had stormed out of the room, and Eddie had followed.

" I've had enough," Becky spat, shaking her head, " this can't go on," she added, as she followed the other two out of the room.

Once in the corridor she saw Jack and Eddie walking on ahead and she called out, " Jack, wait! "

Jack looked over his shoulder as her and he slowed down so he could catch up, as did Eddie. Once she was at their side, she heard the ear-bashing Eddie was giving him.

" I'm telling you, she needs proper support," Eddie said, " I mean - "

" I know," Jack stressed, " it's ok, I'll handle it. I just need you to keep the teaching staff on side. " After that, he pulled out his phone and rang the office, " Hello? Bridget, yeah, I need an extended lunch calling. Yeah, now. "

Eddie was about to say something, but saw a big bunch of kids causing chaos in the corridor and hurried off to deal with them while Jack and Becky jogged down the steps.

As they got to the bottom of the steps, Jack was breathing deeply and he looked quite frantic and completely stressed out. It didn't help matters when he saw Karla with Davina and he stopped and demanded, " What's she doing? I put her in the cooler! "

Becky knew she needed to do something to help Jack and she laid her hand on his arm to try and comfort him and show him she was there, before telling Davina, " It's ok, just take her to lunch. "

Jack sighed and walked off. He walked behind the door that led into a corridor only used for a fire exit, and he leaned against the fire exit door after Becky closed it behid them.

He leaned against the door and closed his eyes, breathing deeply,

" I told you it was too soon," Becky said, standing behind him, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his back, trying to be of some comfort.

" I'm fine," Jack said, after taking a final deep breath, before turning aound to face her. She was standing very close to him and as he turned around, she took a step back to give him some space, but he took hold of both of her hands.

" You're not," she said.

" I am," he argued, " I'm fine, but I could just do without a teacher's strike. " He sighed as he looked at her and his eyes were full of pleading and he looked like a lost school boy, " please, don't strike. Don't strike. I need you. "

Becky let go of one of his hands as she looked up at his face.

She winced when she saw that his lip had been cut open and was still bleeding. She reached up gently and wiped away the blood tenderly, " I'm not going to strike, honey, because I know you'd never knowingly put any of your staff at risk. "

Jack looked relieved and as Becky withdrew her hand, she added, " _But _you should have told me about Seddon. "

Jack looked at her and it was the look of a man who knew he'd been caught out. His eyes widened in panic and he said, " Don't go mad because about that ... "

Becky shook her head but Jack knew that because she was allowing him to keep hold of her hands, she couldn't be too angry. " I'm listening," she said, raising her eyebrows and fixing him with a steely look.

" I'm sorry, Becky, I should have told you," he said.

" Yeah, you should," she said quietly.

" But I only found out a couple of days ago and you were out when I found out, so by the time you came back, I was almost scared to tell you and I kept putting it off and putting it off. The thing is, it was a late LEA decision - the hiring of catering staff doesn't actually come under my jurisdiction. I didn't have any say in it - something to do with his probation. I fought the LEA on it two days ago, when I found out, but they wouldn't budge. I'm sorry. I've been assured that he's reformed - God, please don't strike over this - I need you on side. "

" And what about Maxine? " Becky asked, " Jack, I'm as good as a mum to that girl - I've got to think about her more than myself. I've got to think about her. "

" I've got every confidence in Maxine, that she'll look after herself - she's a good girl, and she's not stupid enough to fall back in with Seddon, I'm sure of it," Jack told her.

Becky looked at him and she knew she'd already forgiven him - he'd had a lot on his mind after all, " Ok," she said, " but I'm not happy with you, Mr Rimmer. "

" I'll make it up to you," Jack pouted, " just please, don't strike - with Eddie trying to one up me every two minutes, I could really do with you on side. And as for Karla, Davina reckons it was all Grantly's fault anyway, so I reckon we should draw a line under the whole thing. "

Becky nodded, " You're going to have a hard time getting everyone else on side, though. "

" I'm sure I'll manage," Jack said, " and since the rest of the staff are striking, and I've called for an early lunch, you might as well get back to your office, catch up on organising all those papers you brought with you this morning. "

Becky nodded, and she squeezed his hand, before heading for her office.

She passed the afternoon in her office as she had no timetabled lessons that afternoon anyway, and at the end of the day, the door opened without a knock.

Eddie stormed on with his hands in his pocket looking rather angry, and beside him, Jack stood. Jack looked at Becky and he looked quite apologetic, and Becky was worried as she saw the look on Eddie's face.

" Can I help you? " she asked him with a smile.

Eddie help out his hand, " Can I see Karla's prescription? "

Becky's smile faltered, " W-what? "

" Can I see Karla's prescripion? " he repeated, " hand it over. "

Becky shook her head, " What does it matter? " she asked.

Eddie narrowed his eyes while Jack tried not to look at her, " You don't have it, do you? " Eddie challenged, " only, you were supposed to administer it to Karla, and it turns out she hasn't taken her pills at all. If she had done, she wouldn't have been as anxious, and the incident today wouldn't have happened. "

" But," Becky said, lost, " I ... I gave them to Steph. Steph was supposed to give her her pills - I have them to Steph. "

" It wasn't Steph's job," Eddie pointed out.

" But I ... it's not like I purposely didn't give them to her," Becky protested, " I - "

" Well it wasn't Steph's job! " Eddie said, shaking his head, " you're head of pastoral care, aren't you? You should have given those to her! "

" Hang on," Jack said, turning to Eddie, " you can't storm into her office and shout at her like that. "

" But - " Eddie started.

" No," Jack said, all of the anger of the day building up, " that's my missus, when you've finished."

" But - "

Jack cut him off again, " Look," he said, fixing his eyes on Becky, " the bottom line is, you shouldn't have delegated out the pills but Steph shouldn't have kept them from Karla either. Since it's your first day in your promotion, and with everything else that's going on, I'm going to overlook this but just ... think about it in the future, yeah? "

Becky nodded, but Eddie didn't seem happy, " You're in charge of pastoral care," he stormed, " you shouldn't have delegated anything to Steph Haydock. "

" Look," Becky sighed, " I - "

Eddie nodded, " I'm aware you've had a lot on your mind but it's not acceptable - things like this can't happen again, and if it doesn't there'll be action taken against you. "

Becky nodded silently, though stunned, and watched as Eddie walked out of the room - she knew she'd made a big mistake but she didn't think Eddie going in heavy like that was to any advantage.

When left alone together, Jack sighed, " I'm sorry," he said, " I _did _try to stop Eddie going in hard - tried to point out that you were the only one we could trust not to strike, but he ... well, he didn't listen. "

Becky shook her head, " He's right - I was in the wrong. Any idea on how that strike's going, anyway? "

" I've won them around," Jack told her, " told them I'm asigning Davina to look after Karla until there's some proper care for her, and it seems to have satisfied them. "

Becky nodded and Jack checked his watch, " Bell's going in five minutes," he told her, " I'll get my things from my office and meet you at the car. "

Becky nodded, " Oh, and Maxine's going to Janeece's after school, so it's just me and you. "

Jack grinned, " I think I can handle that - I must admit I've been neglecting you recently, and I think you deserve my full attentions. "

Becky laughed and Jack moved closer to the desk, where he reached out to take hold of her hand. She smiled as he did so and he said, " I intend to give you my full attentions tonight, I'll have you know. "

Becky grinned, " I'm looking forward to it," she said, her voice growing lower, " I might have missed been ravished by my sexy boyfriend. "

Jack winked at her before squeezing her hand and leaving the room.

She grinned and once he'd gone, gathered all of her things together and headed towards the car park. On the way, Tom walked out of one corridor as she walked out of another and they looked at each other, but Tom looked looked away too, and Tom stormed off ahead.

Becky sighed, feeling rather terrible, but then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Jack standing beside her. He smiled at her and she smiled in return, knowing he was there for her.

They walked through the school side by side and as they did so, heard a voice call out, " Mr Rimmer? "

Jack stopped and turned so Becky did too and she smiled when she saw a young good looking man. The man smiled and stuck out his hand to Jack, " Matt Wilding," he said, " I did phone - I'm sorry, my flight was delayed, it was chaos. "

Becky assumed this must be the new music and drama teacher and there was something about him which she thought she might like.

Jack frowned, " You must be on a different time zone, Mr Wilding, because my day's just finished. "

Becky rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's rude manner and she stuck out her hand to the young man so that he wasn't left hanging.

" Becky Clarkson, head of pastoral care," she said as they shook hands, " nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see you tomorrow. "

Matt grinned as he shook her hand, though Jack turned around and started ot walk off until the young man shouted, " Mr Rimmer, wait, I've been doing a lot of planning. " When Jack turned back around to face him, Matt added, " extra cirruculars, maybe a school musical - really inspire everyone in the school, and get some press interest in the school. "

Jack considered it for a moment before nodding, " Alright," he said, " my office, tomorrow morning, 8 o clock. We'll talk. "

When Jack and Becky got home, they'd only been in the house ten minutes when Jack started pestering her. Becky was standing in the living room, rooting through her handbag for something, when she felt his strong arms slide around her waist, pulling her back against him as he pressed the entire length of his body flush against hers.

She sighed, " You're such a pest. "

" Don't pretend you're not interested," he said, pressing himself against her as he started to kiss her neck - they hadn't actually slept together in a couple of weeks which was unusual given Jack's usual high sex drive.

She sighed in contentment and decided to take advantage of Maxine not being around, and her hand fell behind her reaching for Jack while he kissed at her neck gently.

After a few moments of teasing, Becky turned around to face him, her eyes clouded with lust and shook her head, " Take me to bed," she whispered.

" Naughty girl," Jack chuckled, wasting no time in grasping her hand and rushing up the stair with her, where he slammed the bedroom door behind them.

They knew they had plenty of time as Maxie had told them she'd be at Janeece's for a few hours, and they wasted no time in occupying themselves for a good hour.

After an hour, a shirtless Jack walked into the kitchen to find his wife-to-be cooking dinner. He walked up behind her and wrapped his aroms around her waist and she sighed,

" Honey, as irresistable as I find you, I really should get on with the tea. "

Jack nodded, accepting it, and he instead settled for planting a kiss on her cheek and letting go of her, going to stand in the doorway of the kitchen as he watched her.

" You know," he said, " I'm very glad we got some quality time together - just what we needed I think. I promise we're going to go back to normal - I'm going to be ok. "

" Just take your time," Becky told him, " you've got to give yourself time to recover. But for the record, it _was _some pretty good quality time. "

Jack laughed.

After they ate, Jack went into the living room to watch the sport highlights from the weekend, while Becky did the washing up and once she was about to head into the living room, her phone rang.

She saw Tom's name on the screen and answered, standing in the hallway as she took the call.

" Hello? "

" Becky, it's me," Tom said, " listen, did you know anything about Chlo and Donte getting married? "

Becky had to admit that she was suprised but she saw no sense in lying, " I knew they wanted to get married," she said, " Donte came and told me they wanted to get married soon-ish. "

Tom sounded furious and he said, " I thought you might know something, thanks to that bloody godson of yours. They've just got married. "

Becky was completely stunned and she didn't know what to say - she hadn't actually thought that the teens would actually go and get married and she was completely suprised.

" Married? " Becky echoed - she hardly though the pair were in the best place to get married right now.

" Yeah, bloody married," Tom spat, " I thought you might have known somehting about it - I mean, clearly you kew they had plans. Helped them arrange their little wedding, did you? Kept it a secret for them, did you? "

" Woah," Becky said angrily, " that's ridiculous. I am suprised they got married as you are. "

" Well Maxine knew," Tom said, " she was there. "

Becky sighed, even more shocked but not wanting to get into an argument, " Well Maxine's a little madam and she most certainly didn't tell _us _anything about this. You're being ridiculous. "

" I'm not so sure," he said coldly.

Becky laughed, shaking her head, " I'm not sure I like who you are anymore," she said, " I mean, this is all still about your stupid insecurities over Jack, and I just can't stand it anymore. I mean, if you can't treat the man I love in the way he deserves then I can't be around you. I've had enough. "

" You don't understand," he said, " Chlo and Donte - "

" Are young," Becky finished for him, " and foolish, but they're in love. They've done it now and all they need is their family and friends to support them. You should just be a good dad and listen to them. "

Tom sighed heavily, " I don't know. "

" Look," Becky said, " final olive branch - let's really put all this behind us and just bloody get on with it. Come around, talk to Jack ... please? "

Tom didn't reply.

Becky scoffed, " You know what? " she said, " I've had it. I don't want to hear from you until you've grown up a bit. "

" The way I see it, youre the one with the problem," Tom told her, before hanging up.

Becky sighed and ran her hand through her hair, and from the living room, Jack called, " You alright? "

Becky tried to smile as she walked into the living room and found him sprawled out on the sofa, in front of the tv, " Just Tom," she said, " being ... well, being an idiot. "

She flopped down onto the sofa beside him, and he asked, " Wanna talk about it? "

" Tom's in a mood because Chlo and Donte have gotten married and he thinks I knew about it and kept it from him, cos Donte's my godson, and because Maxine found about it somehow, and she went too. "

" Married? " Jack asked.

Becky sighed, turning a little so she could take a fistful of his shirt and rest her head against his chest, " Yeah. But they're just kids - they shouldn't have done it, but it's their life and they've made their decision. I think I've properly fallen out with Tom though. "

Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her head as she nestled against him for comfort, " It'll get better. "

Becky nodded and they sat in silence for a moment until Jack sighed heavily, " It's been one hell of a day. "

Becky looked up at him, " At least the first day's over, and you've made the step to go back to school."

Jack nodded, looking troubled, and Becky sighed, knowing she hadn't gotten through to him, " Jack, you've got to stop blaming yourself," she told him, " it's not doing you any good, whatsoever. "

Jack nodded, considering this, and he looked back into her eyes, " I really love you, you know. I owe you so much. "

She grinned, " Don't be so soft. "

He laughed and leaned in for a kiss and she rolled her eyes before leaning forwards to kiss him in return, closing her eyes and taking hold of his face in her hands.

The front door of the house opened and closed against and the pair of them broke apart as Maxine called, " I'm home! "

" In here, sweetie," Becky said, " how was the wedding? "

As Maxine appeared in the doorway, she knew she'd been caught out, and she looked like she was trying to cover it up. On seeing her face, Jack laughed, " Don't worry about it," he told her, " would have been nice if you'd not lied to us and told us where you were actually going, but no harm done. "

" Yeah, sit down, give us all the gossip," Becky grinned, smiling at her teenager, who took a seat in an armchair near the door.

" You're not mad? " Maxine asked.

Jack shook his head, " As your headmaster, I can't possibly condone skipping lessons for any reason, and if you do it again, you'll be in serious trouble. "

" But just this once you're forgive," grinned Becky, " now, did you bring us some wedding cake back? "


	3. Karla Bentham

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Three

Four days later, Becky woke up before Jack, and rolled over to see him sprawled out on his back, tossing and turning from one side to the other. His face was a picture of anguish and she sighed as she propped herself up on one elbow, watching him.

He turned his head from one side to the other in his sleep, eyes closed tightly, breathing deeply.

Becky wanted to help but didn't know what to do, and she reached out smooth some of his hair away from his forehead, which was drenched with sweat from the night terrors he was having.

" Shhh, honey," she whispered, " it's ok. "

Jack was breathing deeply and it was getting so bad that Becky knew she needed to wake him up. " Jack," she said softly, nudging his arm, " Jack, come on, honey. "

He groaned and she bit her lip, worried, before suddenly his eyes flew up and he sat up very quckly.

" Oh God," he groaned, running his hand through his hair and trying to calm his breathing.

" Jack, it's ok," she said, shaking her head as she reaching out to lay her hand on his shoulder.

He turned to look at her with wide eyes and said, " Nightmare. Except it wasn't Izzie who got stabbed. It was you. And there wasn't anything I could do about it. "

He looked so much in pain, and Becky shook her head, rubbing at his shoulder with one hand, " Don't think about it - it was a stupid dream, wasn't it? It's ok - look at me - it's ok. "

Jack nodded and Becky pulled him into her arms for a big warm hug, kissing his cheek, " I'm here, Jack, yeah? "

He nodded and as he took a deep breath, he reached out for his pills and quickly swallowed a couple of them.

Becky shook her head, " You shold really go back to the counsellor rather than taking those things - they're not going to do you any good. The counsellor said you could go back anytime. "

Jack shook his head and threw back the covers, " I don't need a counsellor," he said in determination, heading to the bathroom.

She sighed as she watched him go - sometimes they were fine, but sometimes it felt like watching him hit the self destruct button and she knew there wasn't much she could do to control him, and he certainly wouldn't listen to her when she tried to help.

She didn't feel too good herself - it was Friday now and she hadn't spoken to her brother since Monday, although she'd had the newly wed Chlo and Donte around for tea, along with Mika.

Once they were ready for work, the pair of them, along with Maxine, left for school.

Once they got there, Maxine went off to find her friends, Jack to his office, and Becky headed for hers - since becoming head of pastoral, she found herself inundated with paperwork, planning, reports forms and much more, and found her self very busy, in addition to her role as a teacher.

As she made her way to her office, she passed the main noticeboard and was new music and drama teacher, Matt Wilding, overseeing sign-ups for the school musical he was wanting to put on.

He caught her eye as she passed him, and she smiled, which he returned.

At break time, Becky locked up her classroom and headed for the staffroom. When she entered the room, she saw Tom sitting at the other side of the room with Grantly and although he looked up when she entered the room, they didn't look directly at each other.

Becky looked around for somewhere else to sit and she saw Davina and Jasmine sitting down together, and went to sit with them, giving them both a smile.

Though she'd only known Jasmine a couple of days, she thought she was a sweet girl and she really wanted to help her settle into Waterloo Road. She'd tried to make a friend out of her and it was working well so far - she also found she was making a friend of Davina, and after the losses of Izzie and Lorna, and Kim and Andrew no longer being around, what she needed was friends.

" Hi," she said, slumping into an armchair, before realising that the other two women looked about as dejected as she felt, " well, don't we make a happy lot? What's going on? "

Davina shook her head, running her hand through her hair, " Grantly. Basically told me I was useless and over-ruled me on Karla - he's just trying to shut her off from everyone else. But I'm sure I'll manage ... Grantly won't see me off. "

Becky nodded, " That's the spirit - you let me know though if it gets out of hand. Or you let Jack know. "

Jasmine cleared her throat and said, " Actually, Becky, I was meaning to ask you about something. "

" Fire away," Becky smiled.

Jasmie reached into her bag and pulled something out - a fighting magazine, which she handed to Becky silently. Becky raised her eyebrows as she looked at it and asked, " Where'd you get this? "

" I took it from Paul Langley," a nervous looking Jasmine said, " I wondered what you thought of it. "

" Well, I hardly think these things are appropriate for school," Becky said, " I think you should tell him he can have it back at the end of the week and warn him not to bring anything else like this in here. "

Jasmine took the magazine back and said, " But I think there's more to it than a fighting magazine - I've noticed something off about him in the last two or three days. He's moody, scruffy - "

" Isn't that every teenage boy? " Becky smiled.

Jasmine sighed, " I just think ... I don't know ... "

" Instinct? " Becky asked, " no, instinct's good. Instinct's what makes good teachers. I'll have a word with him since you've brought it up - I'll just follow it up and make sure he's ok. How much do you know about his home life? "

" I've read his file," Jasmine replied, " I know his mother was severely depressed and killed herself and his father died when he was young. He lives with his uncle, who also has depression - I thought maybe that could be a possible cause for bullying. "

" Good thinking," Becky nodded, " listen, thanks for bringing it up, I'll have a word after break."

" Thanks," smiled Jasmine gratefully, " I just thought it was worth mentioning. "

" Absolutely," Becky nodded.

When the conversation ended, Davina asked Becky, " How are you, anyway? You look like you haven't slept much. "

Becky scoffed, " Kind way of trying to say I look terrible? " she asked, and before Davina could backtrack, added, " You're right. It's Jack. "

" Jack? " Jasmine asked, confused, " but ... well ... I know I don't know you too well, but you two seem perfect. "

Becky shook her head, " It's not _me _and Jack. Me and him are fine - it's Jack and these nightmares, the cold sweats, the panic attacks. He just can't seem to let go of it all - I'm upset too, and I'm struggling too, but it's not the same. He can't get over it all and at first I could cope, but now ... I don't know how to help him, and it's getting to the point where it's causing so much strain, I don't think we can deal with it. "

" You and Jack and strong," said Davina, " I'm sure you'll be fine. "

Becky sighed, " Added to that, the stress of falling out with Tom - well, things just aren't the way I ever thought that they would be. " She bit her lip and then said, " I ... let's talk about something less depressing. "

Jasmine nodded, " Absolutely- so what do you think of Matt Wilding? Only - " she leaned in, " I've heard he ... plays for the other team. "

Becky and Davina exchanged a smile and then leaned in, hooked.

By the end of break time, Becky felt rejuvenated from her talks with the two women and since she had a non-contact hour, decided to go start investigating into Paul Langley.

She went to her office, read his file and found no recent cases of bullying. She then called the school secretary to find which classroom Paul was in and headed that way.

As she walked down the corridor towards the technology department, with purpose, she rounded a corner to find Eddie walking equally as determined.

He came to a quick halt when he saw her and held up his hand, and knowing he wanted her, she stopped.

" Something I ought to bring up with you," he said urgently, " I've just found Paul Langley staggering out of the boys bathroom, hardly able to breathe - looks like he's taken a right battering. I've had a word and he wo't open up, but I think we've got something on our hands here. "

Becky was suprised and her eyes widened before she took it in her stride and nodded, " Well, I was just on my way to find Paul myself. "

" You were? "

Becky nodded, " Jasmine approached me at break time to tell me she'd found Paul with fighting magaxines, thought he looked sruffy, and had a feeling something was going on. I told her I'd look into it, and I was just on my way to have a word. And from what you've just told me, Jasmine was right to be worried. I'll go now. "

" It's ok, I'll go," Eddie said, " I think I've got a good idea of which boys are responsible for this. "

" You sure? " 

Eddie nodded, " Yeah, yeah, I know just how to get through to them, I think. I'll come back and keep you posted, though. "

Becky nodded, " Alright then. Well, I'll be in the office, if there's nothing else, for now. "

Eddie turned away but then quickly turned back and said, " Actually, there _is _something else. Jack's got some extra funding in the budget for staff training, and he wants to use it to send some more members of staff on a first aid course but we've got plenty of first aiders. I think we should use it to send you on a course. "

" Me? " Becky asked, suprised but rather pleased for the opportunity, " what kind of course? "

Eddie pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket and unfolded it, " I was looking around on training websites, and I found this one - it's a three day course on boosting pastoral care skills. I think it'd be useful, and it's look good on your cv - you can do one course and work your way up to all sorts. Why don't you check it out? "

Becky odded, taking the paper from him, " Thanks Eddie," she smiled, " that might be really useful - I'll check it out. "

Eddie smiled, " No problem - just look it up and take it up with Jack if you fancy it. "

When Eddie had gone, Becky went back into her office and started researching the suggestedcourse - the more she read about it, the more she fancied it, and she found out that it was an intensive three day course covering a range of different home situations, and how to offer the best support on them. She thought it would be of great use, but was a little put off when she saw it was resedential, and started to worry about leaving Jack.

She didn't know how he'd manage the panic attacks, the ightmares, everything, alone, and she didn't want to risk leaving him, but she wanted to opportunity that the course offered.

Making up her mind to ask him, she headed for his office.

She knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer, finding Jack sitting at his desk, head bent low, his hand flying across a piece of paper.

" Keeping busy? " she asked him.

He quickly looked up and turned over the piece of paper he'd been writig on, so it was face down and his fiance's lips curled up in amusement, " Not up to something dodgy, are we? "

" No," he said quickly.

Becky believed him, though there was underlying doubt, and she nodded. " Have you got a minute? " she asked, coming to sit in the chair opposite his desk.

" For you? " he asked, " of course, so long as it doesn't involve bad news. "

She smiled, " Well, it's not really news at all. "

Jack looked at her, giving her his full attention and raised his eyebrows, " What's going on? "

" It's just ... well, Eddie's found this course he thought I might like, and I checked it out, and I do like it - it's a three day course, supposed to be really great for boosting pastoral care skills. I really think I'd learn loads, and it'd really come in handy. "

Jack smiled, " And you want to come in here and butter me up so I'll give you the time off work? "

" Well," Becky smiled, " I really thought I ought to bring it up with you, because it's supposed to be a really great course, and it's exactly the kind of thing that I need. "

Jack nodded, " I think we've got the funding for it, and if Eddie recommends it too, then who am I to deny you the opportunity? When is it? "

Becky bit her lip, " That's the thing ... it's next week, and it's ... it's resedential. It's next friday, saturday and sunday. "

" Resedential? " Jack asked.

She nodded, " It's in Birmingham. I mean, if you don't want me to go - if you need me here - then I'll stay but it was just - "

" No," Jack said, " don't be silly. I'm far too old to be relying on you as much as I do, and I'm far too old to be still sleeping with the light on. I'll be ok. "

She wasn't sure if she believed him and he didn't sound very convincing, " You sure? " she asked.

He nodded, smiling at her, " Absolutely. If you want to do it, then just go. I can manage perfectly well, and I'm sure I can look after Maxine too. This is a good opportunity for you. "

Becky hesitated, " Yeah, but I - "

" No," Jack said, " I won't hold you back - you're going. Honestly, I'll be fine."

" Great," Becky grinned, as her worries faded away and she started standing up, " thank you, honey. "

She leaned over and kissed his cheek and he smiled, watching her leave the room, eyes lingering on the door after she left, before he turned his paper back over and took up his pen again.

Eddie came back to Becky before the end of the lesson and told her that he'd tried to talk to Paul and couldn't get the boy to open up, though he felt like he was on the edge of it. Becky thanked him for keeping her informed, and when the end of the hour came, headed for her classroom.

Becky taught her year ten class a lesson on Hitler's foreign policy, and once the hour was over, headed for the staffroom. She sat with Davina and Jasmine again, updating Jasmine on what was going on with Paul, before the conversation turned to more general things.

When the three women left the staffroom, Jasmine headed for a year 7 lesson, Becky had another non-contact period. Somehow, she had the same amount of non-contact time as the rest of the staff, but two of those hours fell on the same day - today. Davina was going to accompany Karla to choir try-outs which Matt and Steph were leading - Steph in some kind of attempt to get in the new teacher's good books and try and make a move on him, no doubt.

On her way to her classroom, where she'd left her marking, Becky passed Chlo and Mika on their way to form and she smiled at them both, " Afternoon girls. "

" Becky," Mika said, stopping, hoping she'd be able to talk to the young history teacher.

Becky raised her eyebrows, " Everything alright? "

Mika and Chlo exchanged a glance as the three of them moved into the side of the corridor, out of the way of everyone else. " It's Tom," Chlo said, making Becky resist the urge to roll her eyes.

" Tom? " she asked, trying to remain calm.

Mika nodded earnestly, " He's really depressed, you know - he's all miserable and moody all the time, and we think it's because you've fallen out with him. "

Becky shook her head, " It's probably with everything else that's happened," she said, " I'm sure he can manage without me, because he was the one who started all this. "

Mika sighed, " I know he's struggling, but he wasn't so bad when he had you to talk to, and now he seems even worse since he's fallen out with you. Chlo and me really think he'd be so much happier if you two could just make it up. "

Becky sighed, " Mika, I really appreciate your input but Tom and me ... I don't see how we can make it up while he and Jack are at each others throats, and to be quite honest, jack hasn't done anything to warrant the kind of behaviour he's getting from Tom. "

When both girls looked disappointed, Becky felt bad and added, " I'm still going to see you two all the time, aren't I? You're always welcome at my place, and Tom and I will make up at some point. When he's stopped being such an idiot. Now, shouldn't you two be getting to class? "

Mika and Chlo said goodbye to her and then left for the lessons, while Becky went to her classroom. She'd only just stepped foot into the room when she heard quick footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Davina.

" Becky! " she said urgently, " I need you - it's Karla! "

" What's wrong? " Becky asked, looking at Davina.

Davina looked flustered, and she said, " We were at the musical auditions, and Steph wouldn't let Karla finish her song. Karla got very agitated and hit her before running off. Now she's missing. "

" Jesus," Becky breathed, unable to believe it, " and I take it Steph wasn't very sympathetic? "

" Steph's stunned - trying to find her, but I'm pretty sure she'd covering herself. "

Becky nodded, unable to believe that this had happened, and that Steph could be so insensitive. She and Davina left the room and just down the corridor, found Steph waiting.

" Steph," Becky said, shaking her head as the three of them started quickly down the corridors, looking for Karla this way and that, " you could have avoided all of this if you'd shown more patience - you could have done more for her. "

" Well I didn't know what to do! " Steph said, waving her hands in the air, " her rehearsal slot was over - I had to stop her. "

" But you could have tried to calm her down when she got worked up," said Becky. Glancing at Davina and back, she said, " Karla seems to take comfort in repetitive behaviour, and she would have practised her song over and over, but always finishing it, so when she wasn't allowed to finish it - "

" Yes, ok, ok," Steph said, " I was wrong! "

As they walked down another corridor, Becky's phone rang and she pulled it out and read the screen to find that it was Jack. She frowned, knowing it must be an important call for him to ring her at work.

" Yeah? " she answered.

" Rebecca," he said urgently, " I thought I'd best keep you updated: Eddie and I are on our way to Paul's house. "

" Why? " Becky asked, coming to a quick halt, worried about what was going on, and hoping she could help, " what's going on? "

Jack sighed heavily and said, " A knife went missing from the school canteen this lunchtime, and Paul Langley is the only person to have left the premises. He's told Eddie he's been abused by his uncle, so we think there's a serious danger of - "

" Oh my God," Becky said, running a hand through her hair, " this is ridiculous. I .. wait, did you say a knife? Oh my God, are you alright? "

Jack swallowed hard, " Course I am," he said, not convincingly, " I'm not the one Langley's after. "

" But ... a knife ... " she mumbled, so worried about him and wishing she was there so she could take him and hug him tightly, and keep him all safe to herself.

" I'm ok, I'm ok," Jack said, " Eddie and I are going to stop this before it goes too far. "

Becky's mind was spinning and she said, " I never could have believed how complicated this job was. " She knew exactly how affected he'd been by izzie's death and worried that having to face a knife would spark off all of his anxiety, the panic attacks, add to the nightmares. The last thing they needed was a disaster, especially when it involved a scared and unpredictable teenage boy.

" I know," Jack said, " I'll see you soon, though. I guess if Eddie and I are gone, you're holding the fort. "

Becky nodded silently though she knew he couldn't see her - she didn't think it prudent to tell him about the fact that Karla had gone missing. She sighed, worried, and told him seriously, " Be careful, won't you? Please, Jack, be really careful. "

" Don't worry - " he started.

" But I _do _worry," she said, " I don't want anything to happen to you. "

" It won't," Jack said, " I promise I'll be really careful. I'll see you soon. "

" Be careful," she repeated, " I want you back in one piece. "

He chuckled darkly, " I promised, didn't I? "

" Ok, love you," she said, biting down on her lip, worried.

" I love you, gorgeous. "

When their call ended, Becky took a moment to compose herself and Davina raised her eyebrows, while even Steph couldn't stop herself looking intruiged, " Everything ok? " Davina asked, " you said ... a ... a knife? "

Becky shook her head, " Not really - Jack's gone to Paul's house with Eddie. From what I can gather, Paul's take a knife from the school kitchen. I'm ... well ... worried about Jack, obviously. " She sighed very heavily and then looked at Steph, " Anyway, about Karla - "

Steph shook her head, " You're just dying to have a go, aren't you? " She narrowed her eyes and snapped, " so high and mighty because you've got Jack Rimmer wrapped around your little finger. Flaunting your relationship in front of me like that on the phone- showing off the fact that you think you've got more power because you're shagging the boss. "

Becky could hardly believe the personal attack but tried not to let it affect her and shook her head, " I think you'll find I'm marrying him, Steph. And none of this is about your pathetic jealousy - this is about Karla, and about you understanding that with a little helping from Davina, she can function well in this school. "

After a moment of silence, Becky said, " Let's split up and look for her. I'll go around the staff, Davina, do you want to try her friends, and Steph, just look around the corridors - anywhere you can. "

The three woman parted ways and embarked on their search of Karla, and they'd been looking for her for over half a hour, when Becky's mobile rang.

She never got calls at works, and if she did, it was usually Jack or his secretary.

" Rebecca, I'm back," he said seriously.

" Oh thank God," she breathed, " everything's alright? "

" Fine," he said, " come to the office, I'll tell you everything. Oh, and I've heard about Karla. "

Becky sighed, hoping that she wasn't in trouble, though it was hardly her fault as she hadn't been there, and she shook her head, " Listen, about that - "

" Come to the office," he repeated, " Davina's already been in to see me - she's found Karla. "

Becky breathed another sigh of relief and she nodded, although he couldn't see her, " Ok, I'l be there in a few. "

They both hung up, and Becky hoped she wasn't in trouble as she made her way to the office. She found herself feeling nervous as she gave the door a quick knock before entering the room.

He was standing with his back to the door and turned around to look at her when she came in. She looked up him and down, and when she realised he was alright, a wide smile crossed her face, and she took several steps towards him.

He smiled softly and reached out to her as she stopped in front of him. He opened his arms, knowing exactly what she was going to do, and as she wrapped her arms around his middle, he closed his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

" I'm so glad you're back," she mumbled against his chest, " I was so worried, thinking about what might have happened. "

" Nothing was going to happen," he said, stroking her hair with one hand before kissing her cheek softly, " I was fine - I promised I'd be okay, didn't I? "

" Yeah, you did," she replied, smiling a little.

" And have I ever let you down before? " he asked, leaning back from her, looking at her properly.

" No. "

" No," he repeated, leaning in to plant another kiss on her cheek, making her giggle.

" So, tell me what happened," she said, folding her arms as she looked at him.

Jack nodded, " Without giving you the finer details, Eddie and I went to the house where Paul lives with his had the knife, and he ... I got it from him. Eddie had a word with him, got Paul to confide in him, and I spoke to Paul's uncle - he'd been depressed. I gave him the number of that counsellor you made me see, actually. "

" You did? " Becky asked, suprised, " well, good. I'm glad to see you didn't completely hate the poor woman who was only trying to help. "

Jack nodded, and moved around his desk, taking a seat behind it. After a minute or so of silence, he looked back at her, " Do you want to tell me what happened with Karla? We can't have pupils disappearing whenever we turn our backs, and as much as I hate to say it, Eddie and I left the school in your care. "

" Hang on," Becky frowned, " this wasn't my fault. "

Jack held his hands up in the air, " I'm not having a go, but you _are _head of pastoral care. "

" And it was Steph who started the problem - I wasn't there," Becky told him, " yes, I'm head of pastoral care, but I was called for after the incident, when karla had already gone missing. It's not my fault if Steph isn't sensitive enough to the needs of pupils. "

Jack nodded, " So you're saying Steph is to blame? "

Becky sighed, " I don't want to tell tales - you need to speak to Davina, but really, Steph didn't handle it well. I was just called for to deal with the fall out. "

Jack took a moment to consider this, and leaned back in his chair. He looked at her like he was considering something and he looked awkward as he leaned forward again, " Look, I don't want to fall out, but - "

" But? " she cut in sharply, before almost immediately regretting her tone.

" But," he said, fixing her with a stern sort of headmaster look, " you're in charge of pastoral care and we need to work with Karla to make sure she's fitting in here. I think we need to make sure you and Davina keep channels of communication open with Karla. "

Becky nodded, though she still felt like he was attacking her for something which wasn't her fault. It almost felt like he was defending Steph, and since she knew Steph had designs on Jack, this didn't please her one bit.

She still found herself fuming from her earlier altercation with Steph and the fact that the older woman so clearly made clear her annoyance at Becky having the handsome headmaster to herself. She worried that it meant Steph was ready to try and make a move on Jack - and she knew she'd kill Steph if she ever tried such a thing.

" Listen," Jack said softly, " are you sure you can cope in pastoral care, on your own? "

All Becky's frustration came pouring out, her frustration at Steph mostly, for daring to take her on, she found her hand, where she was resting her chin as she rested her elbow on the table, slamming down on the desk, and she snapped, " For God's sake, Jack, I can manage. "

Jack looked quite taken aback but he was more intruiged by her outburst than anything else, and he raised his eyebrows while he waited for her to elaborate, knowing she needed to take a moment to compose herself.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair before shaking her head and meeting his eyes once she'd calmed down a little, " I'm sorry, Jack, I'm sorry. It's not about the job- I can handle the job - it's only my first week, after all. It'll get better. "

Jack nodded, " Of course. We're both stressed out, and we're still adjusting to life without Kim and Andrew. "

Becky nodded but said nothing.

Jack noticed the look on her face and kew something was still wrong, " So what's going on? " When she didn't immediately respond, he prompted, " Becky, I want to help and something's clearly bothering you - come on, i mean, this is me you're talking to. "

She leaned back in her chair, her lips curving into a half smile, " I know who I'm talking to. "

He nodded and reached out for her hand, " Good," he said, taking hold of her hand, " you can consider the work part of this conversation over - I'm convinced that you can cope with the pastoral care job, and that Karla running off wasn't down to you. Right now I'm your boyfriend and I want to know what's bothering you ."

" Just Steph making stupid comments," Becky said, shaking her head.

Jack looked angry and he asked, " What's she been saying? "

Becky sighed, shaking her head again, " Just stupid stuff - she's jealous cos she's about 20 years older than me and I've got everything she hasn't. She said ... just stupid stuff. "

" Like? " Jack demanded.

Becky didn't want to rat Steph out and she mumbled, " Like I've got you wrapped around my finger - like I think I'm better than her because I'm "shagging the boss." "

Jack looked furious and Becky shook her head, " Don't do anything Jack, or it'll make her think she's right, won't it? Just let it go, because we both know she's pathetic, and we both know it's not like she's trying to make out. We know what we've got. "

" Absolutely," Jack said, " everything ok, now? "

She smiled and he was happy to see that it was a proper smile, " Yeah," she told him, " everything's great. "

" Good," her husband to be told her, " now give us a quick kiss before you go. "

" Bossy," she said, rolling her eyes as she leaned over the desk. Jack grinned and he closed his eyes and waited for her lips to meet his. She grinned too and planted a kiss on his cheek, to annoy him. He reached for her as she tried to pull away and he playfully pulled her back down to him and engaged her in a full lip lock.

" See you later, gorgeous," he grinned as they broke apart.

She grinned.

She taught one more lesson, and at the end of the day was putting her exercise books in the big bags for life that she'd gotten from Tesco three weeks earlier. She had a fair bit of marking to do ad felt like it needed taking home to get done. She ended up with two bags of exercise books and notes.

As she was leaving her classroom, she tried to lock the door with her handbag on her shoulder, and a big bag of marking in each hand, and she was juggling the bags when she heard a smooth voice behind her.

" Here, Becky, let me take one of those. "

She felt a load been taken from her hand and she looked at Jack gratefully as she now had the ability to lock the door, with more hands free.

" Now," Jack told her once she'd locked up and turned around to look at him, " I've got a very attractive proposition for you. "

" You have? " Becky asked, smiling.

He nodded, " Since you'll be going away on that damed course next Friday, I think I should treat you. I'm going to take you and Maxine to that Tapas place you like in town. Then tomorrow, me and you are going to have a night out which might end in a fancy hotel in Manchester. "

Becky smiled, " Don't make promises you can't keep," she told him playfully.

" It's all booked," he told her, " never say I don't spoil you. "

She grinned and said, " On the contrary, you spoil me far too much. "

He grinned and as they walked, he held one of her bags and his own briefcase on one hand and allowed his other hand to rest on her back as they walked out of the school.

When they got to the car, they found Maxine leaning up against it.

" Hey sweetie," Becky said with her biggest smile, " good day at school? "

Maxine shrugged, arms folded, " Same as ever really. "

" Well," grinned Becky, reaching out to wrap her arm around Maxine's shoulders as Jack put the bags into the car of the boot, " Jack's going to take us out tonight, so we're going to be very nice to him. "

As Jack unlocked the car, he reached out to Maxine as Becky got into the car. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug, and she sighed as she looked around.

" Get off," she complained, " you're so embarrassing," she protested, though she still hugged him back.

He scoffed as they got into the car, " As if you'd have it any other way. "


	4. Football

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Four

That evening, Jack took Maxine and Becky out to a Tapas restaurant, as he promised, and the next day, he continued with his plan of spoiling his wife-to-be.

While Maxine went off to Janeece's, Jack and Becky went out for a meal and some drinks in Manchester before checking into a hotel for the night. For that weekend, it seemed that their troubles were over, and they were getting on great.

However, a particularly bad nightmare on Sunday night had Jack waking up on Monday morning in a cold sweat.

Becky sighed as she woke up too and she tried to put her arm around his shoulders and comfort him, but he seemed too haunted - the nightmares just seemed to be getting worse.

He leaned over to the bedside table and popped a handful of pills, causing Becky to roll her eyes - he kept telling her that he could manage without the pills, but clearly, he couldn't.

Throughout that week, Jack's nightmares continued, and Becky tried to coax him into going back to see the therapist.

He was finding it increasingly harder in this particular week to be closer to her intimately because each of his dreams saw her dying like Izzie had and all he wanted to do was hold her, but he couldn't bring himself to be intimate with her.

Becky was struggling to figure out how to help him, and though Jack often held her hand tightly and hugged her and held her close, and kissed her possessively, it seemed to be as close as they were getting - Jack just had an overwhelming urge to protect her.

Becky was struggling too because she didn't have her big brother to confide in, and she felt that Steph was looking at Jack more and more often, which made her feel uneasy.

Becky just felt like recently, she was losing her grip on everything.

From then, the nightmares didn't seem to be getting any better, and by the time it came to Friday and Becky was ready to go off on her course, she felt very guilty.

Jack heaved her case out of the boot of the car for her, as they stood in front of the train station.

" I'll miss you," Jack said, reaching out to her.

She smiled as she moved forwards into his open arms. He closed his arms around her and held her close, before protectively kissing the top of her head.

She felt him sigh heavily and she mumbled, " I don't have to go, you know. "

Jack frowned, keeping his hands on her upper arms as he leaned back from her, " What're you talking about? "

" This course," she said, " if you need me here, I'll stay. "

" Don't be daft," Jack said, shaking his head, " I'm not going to hold you back, love. This is a good opportunity for your career, and I refuse to get in the way of it. Go. "

Becky nodded, " But you ... " secretly, she didn't think he could cope, and she said, " you need someone, Jack. "

" I've got Maxine," Jack pointed out.

Becky sighed, " I know, but ... well ... "

" Shush," Jack said, shaking his head, " I'm far too old to have to have someone look after me - I'm going to be fine. Now go, before I change my mind. "

She smiled a little and looked up at him as he smiled at her too.

" Well, look after yourself," she said, reaching up to lay a hand on the back of his head and pull him down to her. He smiled and took hold of her waist, leaning in and whispering in her ear,

" I love you, and you've got to call me really soon. "

" I promise," she laughed, " every minute. "

" Yeah, you'd better," nodded Jack before leaning in to kiss her.

They shared a long kiss before they broke apart, and Becky smiled, allowing her hand to caress his cheek before she dropped her hand and turned around to look for her bag. She grabbed hold of the handle of it, and with a final kiss for her boyfriend, she left.

When she came back after the weekend, she was thrilled to see him again and as she kissed him at the train station, he seemed distant - almost worried.

For the rest of the week, it was the same.

He was extra attentive - holding her hand and always holding her close, but yet the look on his face was so far off sometimes, and she didn't know what he was thinking, but she knew it was something she wouldn't like.

Still, she didn't speak to Tom, other than when absolutely neccessary, though she still saw the girls and Donte - all of whom assured her that Tom was miserable and she should make up with him.

She still found herself unnerved by Steph's growing jealously and snide comments towards her, but Jack kept telling her to push it out of her mind, everytime she mentioned it, and he insisted that it didn't matter what Steph said.

Becky still felt like she was struggling through everything, although the one change she did make was insisting that Jack go see the counsellor again.

When he refused, she pleased with him - for his sake, for her own, and for Maxine's.

Jack nodded and in the end had agreed to go.

Now, Friday, exactly a week after Becky had gone on her course, she was sitting in the car, outside the therapist's office.

Jack was having a session before school, and Becky had dropped him off, and was here again to pick him up. She saw him emerging from the door, and he came straight over to her and got into the passenger side of the car, as it was Becky's car, and she was at the wheel.

Maxine had chosen to walk to school, as she did most mornings, with Janeece.

" Hey, love," said Jack, leaning over to her and reaching out with one hand.

His hand touched her cheek and he leaned in and kissed her softly.

" You'd better not be planning on swanning off for the weekend, after dragging me to those stupid psycho sessions," he told her in his best warning tone.

She shook her head, well aware of his reluctance, " You need these sessions, Jack. "

He sighed heavily, resting his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes.

" I know you think they're a waste of time," she said, shooting him a glare that cut straight through him, " but ... I know you don't want to hear it, but you haven't been able to touch me properly in weeks - "

" That's not true! " he said, shaking his head.

She sighed, " Jack - "

" I know," he sighed, nodding. He knew as well as she did that he'd had no problem kissing her and hugging her in the last couple of weeks, but he was finding it hard to go any further.

" And," she added, " you don't see what I do - I can _see _the look in your eyes when you walk past the spot where Izzie was killed, and the look in your eyes when you've spent longer than usual away from me, and I get back and you're so thankful - like you think I'm going to die too, if I'm not around you. And I'm not. "

Jack nodded and then he looked at her, " I'm sorry, Rebecca. "

" You're sorry? " she asked, shaking her head, " what for? "

" How hard all of this is on you," he said, reaching out for her hand.

She nodded, " It's not your fault - you've had it hard. Let's just get going to school, Jack - you've had a hard time and you're taking time to get past that. How about we just go to school, and you can focus on running the place. "

Jack nodded.

Becky smiled, " Good boy," she said, squeezing his hand.

Jack smiled too, " I don't know what I'd do without you," he said.

" You'd be lost," she told him.

As they drove towards the school, Jack said, " I take it you'll be at the football match later? "

Becky grinned, glancing at him, " Like I'd miss out on it - Maxine's chance to shine, after all. "

Jack grinned proudly, " She's great, isn't she? Best one on that team from what Chlo was telling me the other day. "

Becky smiled, " It's going to be great to see Maxine doing something really worthwhile. God, don't you just feel so _proud _at times like this? "

Jack nodded, " I'm so happy we've got Maxine, you know. I ... I really love being a dad. "

She beamed as they continued to drive towards the school, her cheeks colouring. She thought Jack was absolutely irresistable and he was so cute with Maxine - she often thought that if he was so cute with a teenager, he'd be absolutely even more cuter with a baby.

The thought that Jack loved being a dad made it all even better.

" Do you? " she asked with a mischevious smile.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, " And I was thinking ... maybe after we get married, we could start on ... you know ... hero kids. "

Becky blushed and she looked at him, " Are you _trying _to make me crash the car? "

She and jack had spoken about children before and decided that they wanted to have children at some point, but wanted to enjoy each other first too, and they'd made a very loose agreement that they'd have children at some point in their future but they'd never really decided when.

" I just thought," Jack shrugged, " well ... you know ... "

Becky turned to look at him as they pulled up and she said, " One step at a time, tiger. I want to be Mrs Rimmer first and foremost. "

Jack nodded " Absolutely," he said.

Their wedding was a little less than three months away, and Becky would be going for a wedding dress tomorrow. They'd booked the venue, the caterer, the band, and written up an inital guest list.

When she originally planned the wedding out in her mind, Izzie was her maid of honour, and maxine, the girls, and her two nieces, bridesmaids.

Now, however, the plan was for Maxine, Mika and Chlo to be bridemaids, along with Becky's two nieces, Katy and Sarah, who lived with their parents in Australia.

Becky just couldn't wait to be married but she wished Izzie and Lorna could be here to see it, and she'd made Kim and Andrew promise that they'd come back from Rwanda for Christmas for the wedding too.

As they got out of the car at school, Jack reached out to her with one hand, without a word.

She smiled and slid her hand into his, their fingers interlocking.

They were heading towards the front of the school when Jack suddenly changed his hand, taking a step towards the field and tugging her in his direction too. She was momentarily confused, until she realised they were heading towards the field, and she looked to see that Tom and the football team were out practising early in the morning.

As the girls were heading back inside, Jack walked over to Tom, and Becky bit her lip anxiously - there was still great tension between he and Jack and Becky wasn't sure that them meeting was a good idea.

" These lot must have been busy," Jack said, nodding towards the girls who'd just gone back inside.

" What? " Tom frowned, not looking too happy.

" Maxine tells me she's done a lot of fundraising for the kit," Jack said.

Tom nodded, looking awkward as he collected cones in, " Yeah, she's done a lot, and Janeece tells me they've washed over a 100 cars. Still," he said, turning to face them, frowning, " they could have spent the time preparing for this afternoon's match, but there's always lunchtime, eh? "

Jack immediately detected the bitterness and he shook his head, " Look, the budget's been a nightmare this year, you know that. And this fundraising must have been good for them all - show a bit of initative. "

Tom shook his head, in almost disgust and said, " Maybe you could flog your bravery award - might get a bit of something for it. "

With that, he walked off, and Jack sighed heavily. Becky was furious at his continued treatment of her boyfriend and she immediately started after her brother.

Jack realised what she was doing, and he caught hold of her around the waist and pulled her back to him,

" It won't do any good," he said, shaking his head.

" What? " demanded Becky, " he needs sorting out - I've got to tell him! "

Jack shook his head, " Just leave it, love. If Tom wants to be bitter and resentful then that's his game - leave him to it, eh? He's got every right to be angry, and there's nothing I can do about it. "

" He's got zero right! " insisted Becky.

Jack sighed and removed his arm from around her waist once he was sure that she wouldn't go charging after Tom again, and he said, " Just leave it, Becky. "

She sighed and Jack started to walk towards the school, so she followed him.

She knew he was under enough pressure from some kind of LEA visitor that he had coming into the school this week.

Once in the building, Jack went on direction, to his office, and Becky went the other direction, to her own office. She tidied her desk, trying to make her mood brighter, depsite the troubles jack was going through, and her fury at her brother for the way he was treating Jack.

She picked out a few folders, neatened them up ad checked the time.

She was due in at a senior management meeting, and she left the office

Just as she walked down the corridor directly outside her office, she saw Steph coming towards. Steph grinned at her like a chesshire cat - she was wearing a rather low cut top, and her smiel was slightly too wide for Becky's liking - she didn't trust the other woman.

" Good morning Rebecca," Steph said.

" Morning Steph," Becky smiled, before continuing to walk down the corridor, and then up the stairs to Jack's office.

Once in Jack's office, she found Jack and Eddie already sitting down around the coffee table. Jack was sitting in an armchair and Eddie on the sofa, and Becky smiled as she entered the room, coming to sit beside Eddie.

The three of them went through some of the school's newest progress results and discussed attendance figures and certain childre to keep an eye on, before Jack stood up.

" Well," he said, checking his watch, " I'd better kick you two out. I've got this advisor coming all day, so I'll be busy. "

" Just who _is _this advisor? " asked Becky, looking up at him, " you've never actually said who this advisor woman is - what's she actually coming for? "

" She wants to know how we're spending our Exellence in Schools funding money," Jack replied.

" And how _are _we spending it? " Eddie asked, standing up, as Becky did too.

Jack seemed to dodge the question, as he shook his head, " Listen Eddie, I'd really appreciate it if you could keep an eye on things around the school today while I'm busy, and just leave the money and the advisor to me. It was all sorted out before you got here. "

He gestured towards the office door, and Eddie seemed quite satisfied as he went out of the office and into the outer office, where Brenda the secretary, gave him a file that he'd asked for her earlier.

As Eddie left the office, Becky turned her eyes towards her boyfriend.

She was suspicious of the way he'd brushed Eddie off so easily, and she looked at him suspiciously. Jack looked back at her, and he raised his eyebrows and gave her a look that would have passed as innocent if she hadn't known him so well.

" Well, make sure you impress the advisor," Becky said, as she and Eddie left the office, leaving Jack behind.

She and Eddie started down the corridor, and as they walked down the steps, towards the humanities department, where Becky wanted to be, and the maths department, where Eddie wanted to be.

" Jack's up to something," she said, shaking her head.

" He is? " Eddie asked, looking at her, " how d'you know? "

Becky shrugged a little, " I just know," she said, " he gets this look in his eye - he thinks I don't know. "

As they rounded the corned and went down the second part of the staircase, a woman passed them. She was only a few years older than Becky by the look of it, and from the visitors pas hangig around her neck, they knew she was the advisor.

" Morning," Eddie and Becky chorused.

" Morning," the woman said as she passed them.

Eddie stopped still and watched the woman walk up the steps. He shook his head, " I can see why Jack wants to lock himself away all day," he said, " jammy git. "

Becky rolled her eyes, " Jack's nearly a married man," she said, starting down the flight of stairs, " and put your tounge back in. "

Becky headed off to her first lesson of the day, a lively year ten class, who were all telling her how much they were looking forwards to watching the football match later on.

Becky tried to calm them down, but they eventually got their work done, and when the bell rang she let them go on time and spent a few minutes straightening her tables and tidying the classroom before going to the staffroom.

She went and sat down with Jasmine after making herself a drink.

Jasmine looked worried and Becky felt compelled to look out for the young newly qualified teacher. " Everything alright? " she asked.

Jasmine looked awkward and she sighed, " Not really," she said, " I think I've messed up. "

" Want to talk about it? " Becky offered, sipping at her coffee.

Jasmine pulled a face, " Tom's going to hate me. "

Becky shook her head mildly, " Tom seems to be hating a few people at the moment. You can't possibly be any higher on the list than poor Jack. But indulge me - why would he possibly hate you? "

Jasmine shook her head " Thing is ... I kind of ... well, I lost it. The class were out of control, and they wouldn't listen to me, and I put them all class in detention. The only problem is, half of Tom's football team is in that class. "

" Oh," Becky said, eyes widening a little as she understood, " well ... yeah, he's not going to be too impressed. "

" What am I supposed to do? " Jasmine asked.

Becky sighed, " You're going to have to talk to him and see what he says, you know. Maybe you could come to some kind of agreement - you could always move the detention. "

" He's going to go mad," Jasmine said.

Becky smiled kindly, " He'll get over it. He'll have to. Hang on, a minute - was Maxine in your class? "

Jasmine looked a bit awkward before answered, " Yeah, she was. "

Becky groaned, " Jas, I'm sorry. Jack and I have tried to talk some sense into the girl, but she doesn't always listen. I'll kill her if she was acting up. "

" Well, it was sort of ... all of them," Jasmine admitted, " it wasn't just Maxine. "

Becky shook her head, " I don't know when that girl's going to start listening to us - I always think we've taught her so well, but ... "

" She's just a teenage girl," Jasmine reminded her friend kindly, " she'll grow up. "

Becky nodded, " About the football team though ... I'd talk to Tom. "

Jasmine nodded.

Becky had a free hour next, and after that, she had her year 12 class. It was one of her favourite classes, and she smiled as Donte and Chlo passed her and sat down, and earned herself two bright smiles in return.

She delivered a revision lesson to the class, and once she'd taught the content and had set them off on some independant work, they all started talking. She was always quite lenient when it came to her sixth form classes talking, as long as they got on with their work.

" Did you hear about the football team? " Janeece asked Becky.

Becky looked up from her desk, " I don't know if we need to talk about that, Janeece. "

" But it's so unfair, Miss! " Janeece insisted.

" Yeah, it is though," Chlo nodded.

Maxine looked up at her foster mother and nodded, " How is it fair that we have to miss the football match because Miss Koreshi can't control her class. "

" Maxine," Becky said, shaking her head, " that's not really fair, is it? From what I hear, you lot were giving Miss Koreshi a bit of a hard time. You can't blame her for punishing you all. "

This set off a frantic load of chat from the whole class and Becky sighed, shaking her head. She stood up and walked around to the front of her desk, folding her arms over her chest, " This doesn't seem like much work is going on! "

At that moment, the classroom door opened, and Eddie walked in.

The class all started to settle down on seeing him, and Eddie stopped beside Becky.

" Right," he said looking around the room, " I gather I'm looking at the class Miss Koreshi had this morning? "

Becky nodded.

Eddie put his hands on his hips as he looked around at them all, " So, Miss Koreshi has very kindly agreed to postpone the detention that she gave you for tonight. You'll all be doing this detention tomorrow evening instead. "

There was a burst of excitement from around the classroom and Becky couldn't help smiling too. The team cheered loudly and Becky was quite happy too because she wanted the team to do well, and she was always happy to see the kids doing well.

Eddie couldn't help smiling at the way the kids were so excited, and Becky just shrugged a little.

" Right you lot," she said, clapping her hands together, " really good work today, but I want those work sheets finishing for next lesson. You can pack up your stuff now. "

She smiled as she watched the kids packing up in excitement, and Eddie hung around. He took a step closer to Becky and said, " Got time for a quick word? "

She nodded with her usual bright smile, " Sure. "

When the kids had all gone, Becky glanced at Eddie while wandering around the classroom and rearranging the tables back into their straight lines.

" So you spoke to Jamine, then? " she asked, " how is she? "

Eddie nodded, " She's struggling, because she's newly qualified - I'm sure you remember how it is - but with enough support from the rest of us, I'm sure she'll manage. I spoke to Tom for her and Tom understood. Jasmine just hasn't connected with any of the kids, so to help her mix, she's going to help Tom with the football team, and she's agreed to hold the detention some other time. "

Becky nodded, " She'll be fine once she settles in, I'm sure. I remember my first year in teahcing - I've only worked in one school before here, and it was this really posh all girls school, just outside Manchester. The girls rang rings around me until I figured out how to handle them. "

Eddie inclined his headm " She'll be ok when she settles in. She's going to be ok. "

Becky smiled as she pushed a few of the chairs under a desk. " So," she said, looking up at him, " you wanted to talk about something? "

" It's Jack," said Eddie.

This caused Becky to look up at him, stopping what she was doing. Her smile faded a bit when she saw his serious expression, " Jack? " she repeated.

Eddie nodded, " I just ... I think he's up to something, but I don't think I know him very well. I thought you might have a better idea than me. "

" Up to something? " Becky repeated, " like what? "

Eddie sighed, " It's ... well, you said it yourself, with the advisor woman today - he was very quick to get us to leave the office, and out of her way. And he won't give us any inkling as to how he's spending the budget. Why would he keep us in the dark, if it's all legitimate? "

Becky frowned as she thought about it, " Good question," she said.

" Have you noticed anything ... odd ... about him recently? " asked Eddie.

Becky sighed, running her hand through her hair, " God, _now _you're asking. He's ... it's all been messed up since Izzie died. But you're right, there's definitley something off about him in the last couple of weeks - particularly this last week. He's so much more stressed out than usual, and he's ... he's so overly protective of me, and he doesn't want to be alone. It's like he's falling apart. I don't ... I don't know how to cope. "

Eddie frowned, " Do you think we need to be keeping a close eye on him? "

Becky shook her head a little, " I live with the man, Eddie. I don't know how much more of a close eye I can really keep on him. "

Eddie took this in and nodded, " But ... about the budget ... not telling us anything ... seeming all secretive. I just wondered if he's told you anything about it. "

" He hasn't told me anything," Becky said, " but there's something going on, I'm sure of it. "

" Right," Eddie said, " then I suppose I'll have to keep an eye on him - try having a word with him. "

When Eddie left the room, Becky threw her bag over her shoulder and locked the classroom. She was planning on heading to the staffroom for lunch, but as she pulled the key out of the classroom door, and turned around, she was faced with her fiance.

" Jack," she smiled, a little suprised, before panic set in, " we didn't have lunch plans that I forgot, did we? "

He smiled softly at her panic and shook his head, reaching out for her hand, " No, love. I just thought it would be nice to ... maybe shut ourselves up in my office, where no-one else can get in the way. I just ... the job's stressing me out so much, and I want my beautiful girlfriend. "

Becky smiled, squeezing his hand then, " C'mon then Romeo," she said, " let's go. "

They started to walk down the corridors, and as they did so, Becky looked up at Jack carefully.

Once they were in the comfort of his office, and she was sitting on his desk, facing him, she asked, " Jack? "

He smiled at the way she said his name, " Yes, love? "

" Is there anything you're ... not telling me? "

For a moment, she thought she'd seen something flash across his face - some kind of panic, like he knew he had something to hide - but it was gone before she had time to decide if she'd really seen it.

" Not ... telling you? " he asked.

She narrowed her eyes, " You know, this Ria Cheetham thing," she said, " I think you're ... well, it just seems like you're hiding something. Eddie noticed it too. It's like you're ... like you've done something you're scared of her finding out about in her inspections. Because, you can tell me ... if you have ... "

Jack smiled softly, " That's sweet, love, but there's nothing going on. "

She raised her eyebrows, as she stuck her fork into her lunbox full of pasta, " Really? "

" Really," he said, " I might not have ... organised the budget exactly as I should have done ... but it's nothing to worry about. "

" Nothing that's going to get you into trouble? " she asked.

" Course not," he replied, while she wasn't looking at him - a fact he was grateful for, since it meant he didn't have to meet her eye.

She nodded and accepted it, " Good. Good. "

Jack shifted forwards in his seat so his leg pressed against hers and he said, " Now, can we _please _not talk about work? I think I might go crazy. "

" Sure, honey," Becky said, feeling quite guilty about adding to his stress.

She only hoped that Jack would soon be able to move on from the worries he felt about losing Becky the way he watched Izzie die, and that he'd stop being to haunted.

They ate their lunch and spoke for a while, before the bell rang.

" Sorry, honey, I've got to go," sighed Becky, standing up.

Jack wasn't about to let her go without a kiss, and he stood up with her and caught her at the waist as she tried to leave, turning her around and kissing her firmly.

Becky sighed contentedly, her hands falling on his chest as they broke the kiss.

Jack smiled, loving the fact that she didn't want to go. " Baby, you've got a job to do," he told her, brushing some of her hair away from his face with his hand.

" I know," she sighed, before leaving.

Becky had no actual lessons for that afternoon, but the first hour of the afteroon was her preperation time, and she had a lot of work to do in her office, and the second hour was the football match, which would also run into after school.

After registering her form and sending them on their way, she locked up her classroom and started towards the office, which was at the opposite end of the school to her classroom, but still on the ground floor.

Becky passed the main entrance as she made towards her office, and as she did so, she saw an eldery woman coming in through reception.

" Can I help you? " Becky asked the woman, who looked confused, just as Eddie started to walk down the main staircase of the school.

" I'm looking for Mr Rimmer," the woman said firmly, " it's about the raffle. "

" Raffle? What raffle? " Becky asked, as Eddie seemed to also hear this, and stopped ot hear hwat was going on.

" The raffle! " the old woman said, " I was sold tickets, and I've come for the prize draw. "

" I'm afraid there isn't a raffle," Becky said, shaking her head.

" But I was sold tickets! " the woman snapped, " and I want to talk to Mr Rimmer. Who're you? "

Eddie intervened and said calmly, " I'm Eddie Lawson, deputy head, and this is Rebecca Clarkson, head of pastoral care. If there was a raffle, we'd have known about it - I'm afraid - "

" But I bought tickets- are you telling me there's something funny going on around here? "

Becky sighed - it seemed like someone was out to scam the locals for money.

The old woman gave a description of one of the girls who'd been to visit her to sell her the tickets - certainly a Waterloo Road pupil, she was sure.

" It was for the school kit fund, they said," the woman told them, " for the football team. "

When the woman had gone, Becky groaned, " Why can't kids these days just behave themselves? "

" Come on," Eddie said, " let's go see Jack. "

" Isn't he still with Ria Cheetham? " asked Becky, raising her eyebrows.

" He'll have to make an exception for us," replied Eddie, " come on. He'll listen to you. "

" He's going to go mad," Becky said as the pair of them knew they had to solve it and started towards the office, " kids trying to scam residents, and from the football team, no less. I just hope he doesn't go off on one with Tom. "

" With Tom? " Eddie asked.

" Well, you know how things are between them," Becky said, " and frankly I don't know how much more of it I can take. I'm sick of the pair of them arguing. I want ... well, I just want things back to normal. Jack's going to kick off about this though, I know it. "

Once they got to the office, Eddie asked Jack if they could borrow him, and Jack apologised to Ria Cheetham and left her in the office while he came out to them.

In the outer office, Becky calmly explained what the old woman had told them.

" What? " Jack exploded, after taking a moment to think about it.

Becky winced, " I've told you - some of the football team have been out selling raffle tickets for a raffle that we don't have, to pay for the kit. "

Jack shook his head, " Tom _flaming _Clarkson," he hissed, turning on his heel and heading for the door.

" Jack," Becky sighed, " calm down, will you? "

" No! " he said stubbornly, " this reflects badly on the school - what was he doing letting the kids have free run of their own fundraising. This has got Janeece Bryant written all over it. "

Eddie nodded, " The description of one of the kids did sound a lot like her. "

The pair of them tried to keep us with Jack as he stormed towards Tom's classroom and Becky hoped she'd be able to keep him calm when faced with Tom. All she wanted was her brother back - she was sick of everything.

" Isn't Maxine on the football team? " Eddie asked.

" It wouldn't be Maxine," Jack said firmly.

Eddie pulled a face, " Maybe you should consider that she might - "

" She wouldn't," Jack said quickly, before looking at Becky, " she wouldn't? "

Becky shook her head, " No," she said, " of course not. She ... we've done so well with her, Jack. Look at everything she was until we had her - she's changed. She wouldn't do that to us. "

" No," Jack said, reassured by her, " she wouldn't. "

Becky firmly believed that Maxine wouldn't do anything so stupid, and when they got to Tom's classroom, Jack threw the door open. Eddie followed him in, then Becky.

Tom was standing in an empty classroom, in front of the interactive whiteboard, writing things on it in preperation for a future lesson.

Tom looked around - he caught Jack's furious face, Eddie's face - annoyed, but wary - and Becky standing behind them both slightly - she looked worried and like she didn't want to be here.

He met her eyes and thought he could see some kind of apology there but he couldn't be sure.

" To what do I owe the pleasure? " he asked Jack.

" Your kids have been caught ripping off the locals! " Jack said furiously.

Tom frowned, " What're you on about? "

" The kids have been organising a raffle," Jack spat, " 1st prize, a week in Marbella, all proceeds to the school kit fund! "

" Nothing to do with me," Tom shrugged.

" They're _your _team," Jack spat.

Tom narrowed his eyes as he took a step closer to Jack, " Could be any one of 500 kids. And need I remind you that your daughter's on the football team too. I take it you're not considering her in this? Just everyone else's kids? "

" The description of one of them sounds a lot like Janeece," Eddie said.

Tom nodded, " There you go. If Janeece is involved ... "

Eddie nodded, turning to Jack and Becky, " I hate to say it but - "

Becky felt her heart sink - how many times was Maxine going to let them down - what would it take for her to be a decent kid? She felt so disappointed,but it was clear that Jack didn't feel disappointment - he felt anger.

" I'm going to flaming murder her," he said, jaw clenched and the muscle in his jaw jumping furiously, " I want both of them in here, now. "

" Before you start stringing up kids," Tom said, pointing a finger at him, " they've got a match tonight. And even if it _was _them, they've worked hard for this. And the pair of them have gone to pick the kit up, anyway. "

" Tom, I can't have kids conning residents! " Jack said, taking a step closer.

The two men were stood close together, and Becky could sense danger.

" But - " Tom started.

Jack interrupted, taking another step closer to Tom, " They can't do it. And I especially won't condone it when it might be _my _kid. "

Tom shook his head, glaring at Jack, " You need to back off. "

She could see Jack about to react and she moved forwards. She didn't want him to blow off at Jack - she just wanted them all to be friends again.

Becky moved forwards and she grabbed Jack's arm just as he opened his mouth, but his retort to Tom died on his lips when Becky pulled him back a bit and stood between the two men.

Tom had been just about ready to swing for Jack, but when his sister stood in front of him, with her back to him, facing her fiance - almost like she was trying to protect Tom from Jack - he took a step backwards.

" Stop it," Becky told Jack.

Jack sighed and turned his back on Becky and Tom, running a hand over his face and trying to calm himself down.

" Ok," he said, turning around and looking over Becky's head at Tom, " We'll wait until the match is over. Then we'll see who's behind this. "

With that, he swept from the room, and Eddie followed.

Becky sighed - she hadn't been alone with Tom since they'd fallen out two weeks ago, and she turned around to face him. He looked very much like he wanted to make up, and she realised she missed him too.

" Becky," he started.

Becky shook her head, afraid of getting into another argument with him, " I'd better go after Jack. "

He nodded and watched as she left too.

In the corridor, Becky came across Eddie and Jack arguing - Jack thought he should go and find Maxine the moment she came back to school and confront her - Eddie thought he should cool off and do it after the match, as he'd told Tom that he would.

" Look," Becky said, " I think you'd better go see Ms Cheetham off, hadn't you? "

" Shit," Jack swore, " I forgot about her. "

" I know," Becky said, shaking her head, " go. I'll see you at the match. We'll talk then. "

Jack nodded and soon Becky was on her way back to her office.

She tried to do some of her paperwork in the office, but was far too distracted. The thought that the teenager she'd taken in and tried to care for as if she was her own daughter, could do something like this, shocked her, and she didn't know how to deal with it - was it a reflection on her? Were she and Jack failing in helping Maxine? Had they failed where they thought they were doing so well?

When the bell rang she was glad of the excuse to leave her paperwork behind, although it did mean she had to watch the match.

She'd been so looking forward to watching Maxine play - everyone said she was the best on the team, after all - and she wanted to show her support. Now however, any victory Maxine had on the pitch would be tainted with the fact that Becky knew she was ripping people off. Conning people.

Becky fastened her coat up around her as she watched the teams come onto the pitch - she clapped, smiled and cheered, though when her eyes fell on Maxine, all she felt was curiosity - maybe maxine hadn't done it. Maybe. She sighed, not knowing what to think.

She felt a gentle hand on her waist and she turned around to see Jack. She smiled and in relief to see him after all the stress they were both feeling, forgot about the usual propriety they showed in front of the pupils.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and he smiled and hugged her to him, resting his chin on the top of her head.

" Feeling any calmer? " Becky asked as they broke apart and stood side by side, both facing the pitch. They spoke casually and anyone watching them wouldn't have a clue what they were talking about.

" Not really," he replied, " I just can't believe it. "

" I know," sighed Becky, shaking her head before clapping along with the crowd when the match started.

" What're we going to do? " asked Jack, " about her? " he added, nodding towards Maxine, who was currently charging downfield with the ball.

Becky shivered against the cold air and pulled her coat tighter around herself, " It ... it might not have been her," she said, though she wasn't even convincing herself, " she wouldn't do that to us. We taught her better than that, haven't we? "

" I thought so," Jack sighed, " but you know what she's like. I'm so ... god, I'm so disappointed in her. I could kill her, I really could. How do we make her see this is wrong? How do I be a dad and a headmaster? "

" We can do this," Becky told him, tearing her eyes away from the match to meet his eyes.

They watched the match for a while, and when the first half was almost over, Jack leaned down to kiss the top of her head, before mumbing, " I'm going to fetch my coat. Won't be long. "

" Ok honey," Becky mumbled, not taking her eyes from Maxine.

Becky had been alone for only two minutes, before Eddie was at her side.

" How's Jack? " he asked her,

" Stressed," she replied, " but he'll be ok. He will. "

Eddie nodded and was about to say something else until his eyes drifted away from her and fixed on something behind her. He looked troubled and Becky saw the way he was looking and turned to look at what he was looking at.

She saw a group of people walking across the field, talking loudly and led by the woman from earlier - clearly these were the other people who'd bought tickets and wanted the prize draw.

" I'll go try and stop them," Eddie said, " you can go find Jack and warn him. "

Becky nodded, and as the second half of the football match continued behind her, she left the field, in search of Jack. She hurried to the office, passing through reception as she did so and smiling in Bridget's direction, before walking into Jack's office.

She found him standing in the middle of the office, pulling on his knee length black outdoor coat.

Jack caught a look at the panic on her face, and his face became a picture of concern.

" Becky, what's wrong, love? "

" The um ... the people who bought raffle tickets - they're here. Eddie's trying to talk to them, but I think you're going to be faced with an angry mob," she told him, " I'm sorry. "

" Sorry? " he repeated, shaking his head, " it's hardly _your _fault. "

" I know but - "

Jack shook his head and sighed. " This is ... God, I'm going to kill those two when I get my hands on them. This is completely not what I needed. Not what the school needed. This is ... ridiculous. "

Becky moved forwards, " We can fix this," she said.

Jack smiled a little, " My eternal optimist. I wish I could be in as good a mood as you, sometimes. "

Becky shook her head, " I ... it'll be ok. "

Jack's smiled faded and he started to think, " Ok," he said, " we'll fix it. I'll talk to them - I'll tell them there's no raffle. "

When Eddie brought the angry mob to the office, they let rip at Jack. Jack was having a hard time calming them down, and it soon became clear that these people weren't going to listen to reason.

Jack groaned and held up a hand, " Look, there will be an investigation, and rest assured that once we get to the bottom of this, you will all get a refund. "

" We don't want a refund, Mr Rimmer, we want our raffle," said the old woman.

" There isn't a raffle! " Jack snapped for what must have been the tenth time.

" Yeah, but we were told there was," the old woman said firmly.

" Yeah," a middle aged man said, " do you want done for fraud? "

Becky watched Jack run his hand through his hair and they all realised they might be in trouble. Jack looked completely desperate, and from the back of the room, Becky watched his desperate expression, wishing there was something she could do.

Jack groaned and she watched him turn his back on them all and scrabble around his desk for something.

He turned back around and held up something with a murderous look on his face, " How does two weeks in the Carribbean grab you? "

As the people in the room excitedly started talking, and Eddie looked in despair, Becky looked up at Jack in shock. As he caught her eye, he mouthed "I'm sorry"

Suddenly, she realised. He'd been planning on booking a two week holiday for their honeymoon - this was their honeymoon. Her heart went out to him and she fell a little bit more in love with him for the fact that he was trying to save the school's reputation.

Thoughts of a perfect honeymoon flew through her mind as she watched Jack draw out a raffle ticket.

Then somehow, it wasn't a ticket belonging to anyone in the room.

Jack shrugged and calmly informed the people there that he would contact everyone who had bought tickets but not come to the school that day, and give the prize to its rightful winner, before the satisfied people left.

Becky realised what he'd done within seconds.

When no-one was looking, he'd thrown in a fake raffle ticket and pulled it out again, to save their honeymoon. God, that man was amazing.

When the people had gone, Jack sighed and sank down into his desk chair, " I'm sorry for gambling with the ... with the tickets like ... it had to be done. "

She nodded, " It's - "

" Hang on," Eddie said loudly, cutting across the pair of them, " what happens when everyone sle who bought tickets finds out that their tickets didn't make the prize draw? Are you going to rig another one? "

He walked out, leaving Jack and Becky behind.

Jack sighed, " All I need - I wish that bloody git would get on my side sometimes, you know. Anyway ... " he allowed a smile to grow across his face and he pulled out the ticket he'd rigged and held it out to her - it was blank on both sides.

" I had to rig it," he said, " couldn't have our honeymoon going to waste. " He reached out and tossed the leaflets for the carribbean aside, " it was meant to be a suprise. "

Becky grinned brightly, " You've ... our honeymoon is in ... " she looked down at one of the leaflets, " Antigua? "

" Luxury hotel, all inclusive. It was meant to be a suprise but I suppose that's kind of being ruined now," he said.

Becky squealed and quickly made her way around the desk. She'd thrown herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck before he knew what was happening.

Jack laughed and wrapped his arms around her middle, thrilled with her enthusiasm.

" You are the best boyfriend ever, you know that? "

" Well you _are _constantly telling me so," he said, smiling as she nestled against his chest. He smiled and mumbled a "come here."

She lifted her head up and he kissed her lips,

" Can't wait to marry you," he told her.

" Me too," she breathed.

They stayed like that for a short while, before they both realised they needed to go and fix what was happening outside, with the football team.

As they walked towards the changing rooms, they were informed of the victory by Donte, who Jack hollered at to stop running in the corridors, though with a fond smile for his fiance's godson.

Becky's happiness at the team winning was very short lived due to the fact she had to go back and watch as Jack shouted the girls down for what they'd done.

Sometimes she saw the bad points of being involved in senior management - it was moments where she had to be faced with pupils who'd done wrong. Especially when it was her own foster daughter at fault.

Jack stormed into the changing rooms, with a face of thunder and Becky followed.

The moment the team caught sight of Jack's furious face, their cheering stopped.

Becky stood beside Jack and as he took a breath and tried to compose himself, she took the opportunity to glance at Tom. The smile from their glorious victory faded and he was clearly trying to replace his smile was a somber looking expression.

He caught her eye, and for the second time that day, Becky found herself missing her brother.

She really needed him after losing Lorna and Izzie but they were fighting and it wasn't doing either of them any good. They were always so close, always there for each other, and when she caught his eye, they were sharing the same look - as if they were both thinking about how much they wanted to be friends again.

" Where's those two? " Jack asked, sounding completely furious.

His question was answered by Eddie walking into the room with a very guilty looking Maxine and Janeece trailing behind him, heads hung.

Jack glared at the two girls and he took a deep breath as he seemed to be trying to calm himself down. The two girls were looking extremely guilty, and Jack took a step forwards.

He stopped just in front of them, arms folded and expression one of pure anger.

Eddie stood behind the girls, who were now in the middle of the changing room, and Becky stood some way behind Jack, to one side of him, glancing at her foster daughter and feeling nothing but disappointment.

The rest of the team, Eddie, Tom, Jasmine (who helped out with the football team) and Becky waited.

Then Jack exploded.

" Have you two got nothing up top? " Jack exploded, glaring between Maxine and Janeece, " How could you be this stupid? By nicking that money you've binned this school's reputation and made me look like a complete idiot! I'm telling you one thing, this kit is going back, and you two aren't going to see the light of day at break and lunch for a month! "

He broke off from his rant, took a deep breath and started back towards Maxine, " And you! How could you do this to us? Have you learnt nothing? "

" I - " Maxine started helplessly, only for Jack to cut her off.

" Don't," he said sharply, " I'm too angry. "

He took a deep breath and as he looked around, his eye fell on Jasmine, who was wearing the kit. It was the first time Becky had noticed and she looked at Tom, who met her eye. In that instant, she knew exactly what had happened.

" Why're you - ? " Jack started, before shaking his head, turning on his heel and storming out of the changing rooms.

The mood relaxed a little when Eddie followed Jack and the biggest threat had gone, though there was still a big atmosphere between Maxine and Becky.

Maxine met her foster mothers eye, and looked very embarrassed.

Becky sighed and ran her hand through her hair, " I just don't understand why you'd do something this stupid, sweetie. To let down me and Jack, Jasmine and Tom, the rest of the team. "

" I'm sorry! " Maxine said, shaking her head.

Becky sighed, " I'll talk to you later. I ... let's not do it in front of everyone else. "

Maxine nodded, and Becky left the room.

As she got in the corridor, she found Jack leaning back against the wall in the corridor, eyes closed. His eyes flew open when he heard the click-clack of her heels against the floor.

" Becky," he sighed when he saw her.

" You okay? " she asked him, stopping in front of him.

He sighed and was gathering her up in his arms before she knew what was going on. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He took comfort in her presence and he sighed and buried his face in her hair.

" It's ok," Becky mumbled, " been a tough day, but we'll get through it. "

" We will," he mumbled in reply, kissing her cheek softly before burying his face in her hair again.

Becky sighed as she ran her hand up and down his back lightly. After a long few moments, they slowly broke apart and Jack slid his hand into hers, " Let's go home, love. "

They gathered their things and walked out of the school, each trying to think about what they were going to do about Maxine - they'd have to talk to her properly to be sure they could trust her in the future.

As they crossed the car park hand in hand, Becky noticed Steph walking nearby them.

Jack noticed her too and she grinned at him. Becky frowned when she saw the grin Steph gave her boyfriend and she looked up at Jack.

" What's up? " he asked, noting her frown.

" Steph," she replied, looking after the other woman, " I'm sure she's after you. "

Jack shook his head, " Don't worry about her, love. Come on, let's go home. "

Becky nodded and squeezed his hand.

If she'd been paying closer attention, she might have noticed the way he frowned as he thought about Steph, but as it was, she didn't. Instead, she only felt Jack's warm hand with hers, and smiled.


	5. Tom

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Five

A week passed.

They were six weeks into the new school term and Becky was in a good mood due to the fact that it was five days until the 2nd anniversary of the day she and Jack had gotten together.

Jack had promised to take her out to any restaurant she wanted, before they went out all night to some of their favourite little bars in the town. Becky had bought a beautiful new dress and was looking forward to it.

That morning the three of them drove to the school in Jack's car.

When they got to school, Maxine - who had been forgiven for what she'd done the week before with the raffle tickets, because her foster parents loved her - went off with Janeece as usual.

Jack offered out his arm to Becky and they walked into the school, as usual, before he kissed her cheek and she went one way to her classroom, and he went the other way, to his office.

Becky hummed to herself quietly as she plucked some work sheets and booklets from one of her perfectly organised files.

She thought ahead to her lessons for the day, and she took all of the resources she needed for the day, before heading to the secretary's office to photocopy her things.

As she walked into the outer office she smiled at Bridget, who was walking away from her desk.

" Morning Miss Clarkson," Bridget said.

" Morning Bridget," she grinned, watching the other woman walk past her, " busy this morning? "

" Just making a coffee for Mr Rimmer," she replied, as Becky opened up the photocopier and put the first of her resources under it before putting the lid down.

Becky smiled fondly, thinking about Jack, " Yeah, well don't pander to his every whim," she said, " and don't let him tell you what to do. Is he in there? " she added as an after thought, thinking she might nip into the office for another morning kiss.

Jack still hadn't been able to be intimate with his fiance for two or three weeks because he kept having the terrifying dreams about Becky dying like Izzie had. He was terrified about losing her and just couldn't bring himself to get any closer than hugs and kisses, however pasionate the kisses were. He had an overwhelming urge to protect her, but he couldn't do anything else.

They were both hoping their anniversary would be the night.

" Yeah, he's in there," said Bridget, before she left the room, just as the door to Jack's office opened.

Someone suddenly walked out of the office, and Becky turned back to the photocopier but looked over her shoulder as she saw Steph leaving the office, not looking particularly impressed.

Jack followed her out of the office, and stopped still when he saw Becky.

" Oh, hi love. Looking good today," he smiled as though he hadn't seen her today, making her smile too.

" Hey," she grinned looking down at herself - she was wearing a knee length black skirt with a silky red blouse and little red heels, " you look good too. "

He laughed and the pair of them barely noticed Steph leaving until they heard the door shut behind her. Becky turned to look in the direction the other woman had just left in, narrowing her eyes and wishing Steph Haydock wasn't around - she seemed to be everywhere.

Becky was sure the woman would be completely harmless, if she didn't have a blatant crush on _her _future husband.

" Did she want anything much? " Becky asked lightly.

Jack smirked, " Never mind her. "

Becky knew that look on his face. It was a smirk - a sexy kind of smirk, which was always followed by mischief. He walked forwards quite swiftly and she grinned as she watched him walk towards her. From the way his eyes were clouded over, and the way he was smirking, she had a fairly good idea what he was going to do.

Yet she was still suprised when he was right in front of her and he took hold of both of her forearms. He moved forwards quickly, forcing her to move backwards, and she was rather quickly pinned to the wall, Jack's hands on her forearms, pinning them up.

She grinned, " Hmmmm, I think I like this side of you. "

" Good," he breathed, allowing himself to press some of his weight up against her body as he held her as his captive.

" Are you just going to stand there and stare? " Becky asked.

" Shush love," he said, before silencing her by covering her mouth with his own. She smiled into the kiss and Jack's hands had soon moved from her pinning her to the wall to taking her at the waist, and she opened her mouth as she brought one hand up to rest on the back of his head.

It was a very long kiss, and when they broke apart, Jack didn't move from his close position, and she made no motion to move either.

They smiled at each other, and then Jack slowly dropped his hands from her waist and took a step back, just far enough to pick up her hand. He tugged her left hand towards him and he kissed the back of it, before grinning as he caught sight of her engagement ring.

He ran his thumb over her engagement ring,

" Just think," he said softly, " there'll be another ring to join that one, in just over two months. "

" Good," she said, " and a new surname to go with it. "

" Mrs Rimmer," Jack said, pondering it, " Rebecca Rimmer. "

" Rebecca Rimmer," Becky repeated, grinning, " sounds great. "

Jack nodded and took a step back from her. Becky grinned, reaching up to flatten her hair down before turning back to the photocopier,

" Sorry, honey, but I've really got to get this done before my first lesson," she told him, sticking something else under the photocopier.

He nodded, " I've got stuff to do too. Eddie keeps nagging me about the G and T kids. "

Becky nodded. The Gifted and Talented kids had come up in the last meeting - Eddie felt like it was too much to ask, to push the kids into doing their GCSEs in one year instead of two but Jack thought it would really help them, give them a headstart in life.

Jack leant up in the doorway and watched as Becky photocopied the rest of her things, and when she was done, she turned around with arms full of papers - she had 4 different sheets, photocopied 30 times each, and all organised into piles.

" Oh," she smiled when she saw Jack, " didn't realise you were still there. "

He shrugged, " You're too beautiful to stop watching. "

She rolled her eyes, " Oh get out of here, and do your work. "

He laughed, " I'll see you around, love. "

She grinned, " Later, honey. "

They went their seperate ways, and Becky hummed to herself once again as she started down the corridors. She walked down one corridor, and as she rounded the corner, slipped on a bit of wet floor that hadn't been cleaned up properly.

She caught herself before she fell, but she dropped all of her papers on the floor.

She swore under her breath as she knelt down to start gathering them together.

As she reached for one of the sheets of paper, cursing her own bad luck, she heard footsteps coming towards her but didn't look up.

The next thing she knew, someone was kneeling down and a hand reached out for a few of the sheets of paper.

" Here," he said, " let me help. "

" Tom," she breathed, hearing his voice. She looked up quickly and when she met his eyes, there was none of the anger and annoyance and everything that there'd been in the last 3 weeks, when they hadn't exchanged a word.

She stoppped reaching for sheets of paper, and suddenly the two of them were just kneeling on the floor, looking at each other.

Becky knew she missed her brother, and she felt like she couldn't argue with him for any longer.

Tom looked like he was feeling the same way.

" Hi," she said quietly.

He looked down at the floor, " Little accident? "

Becky smiled, half a smile, and the atmosphere was a little awkward because neither of them quite knew where things were between them, " Slipped and dropped them all. "

Tom shook his head and started to pick some of the sheets up.

Once they'd got hold of them all, Tom stood up slowly, and so did Becky. He handed the sheets back to her and looked at her carefully.

" You look tired," he said, a slight frown marking his features, " are you alright? "

She sighed and suddenly, the atmosphere between them was gone. Having her brother's kind, concerned face in front of her, she just couldn't be angry any more.

" I _am _tired," she said, holding the worksheets to her chest, " this pastoral care role's much bigger than I realised when I took it on, so I'm still adjusting. And Jack's up half the night with his nightmares, so ... well, I'll be ok. Anyway, how're you doing? And the girls? "

Tom shrugged, " We're doing ok. It's lonely though - kind of weird, what with just Mika at home - though she always seems to be out with Brett. And with Donte and Chlo living in the flat now. "

There was a pause, during which they looked at each other, waiting to see what would happen.

Tom looked down, bit his lip, then looked back up, " You should come around, sometime. "

Becky raised her eyebrows, " Is Jack invited? "

Tom sighed, " I'm not sure how I'd feel about that. "

Becky nodded, knowing he'd say that. But she missed her big brother more than anything - he was the one constant thing in her life, ever since she was little.

He'd been there when they were young, and their mother died. When she fell out with her friends at school, or fell out with a boyfriend. When she went to uni, thought she'd found love, and ended up homeless. When their dad died. Always.

" Tommy," Becky sighed, not sure how her sentence was even going to end.

Tom nodded, " I know," he said, before reaching out and pulling her into a hug.

" I missed you," Becky said, taking comfort in his embrace and sighed contentedly as she revelled his in his bear hug.

Tom's hugs were always so warm and comforting, and when they broke apart, they were grining at each other. Becky smiled as she looked at him, and was about to say something when Steph and Matt walked past.

Matt nodded at Tom with a smile, and when the pair had gone past, Becky sighed.

" You alright? " Tom asked her, frowning.

She nodded, " I'm just sick of Steph - she always seems to be pining after Jack. I don't see why she doesn't understand that he's not interested. "

Tom shook his head, " Don't worry about it - I heard from Matt that Steph's got some new guy on the go. "

" Good," sighed Becky.

Tom looked at her carefully before saying, " Look, this is silly. I ... I missed you. I'm still ... it was stupid to fall out with you, and I know I made it impossible for you, by fighting with Jack, arguing with Jack. I'm sorry. "

" So you're ... what? Going to drop the stupid resentment and all the snide comments, towards Jack? " she asked.

Tom sighed, " I don't know that I can be his best friend, but give it time, and I'll get better. All I know is, I want my sister back, and I want my best friend back. Do you think there might be any chance of that? "

Becky nodded, " I'm sorry too. How about I come over tonight? "

Tom nodded, " I'll get a bottle of wine in. We could have a few drinks, just talk for a bit. "

" Yeah," Becky grinned, " let's do that. "

She didn't see Jack for the rest of the day. At break, she had to talk to a pupil who was grieving for a loss of a grandparent and not taking it well - as pastoral care, Becky was there to help the pupils.

At lunch, Jack had a meeting to go to and Becky was more than happy to relax in the staffroom with Jasmine, Tom and Davina. Their friends were happy that they'd made up and Tom and Becky were soon talking like they'd never fallen out.

At the end of the day, Becky walked out to the car, where Jack and Maxine were already waiting.

" Hi," she smiled, getting onto her tip toes and kissing his cheek, before smiling at Maxine, " hey sweetie. "

" You're in a good mood," Jack said as they got into the car, Jack behind the wheel - they sometimes alternated which car they took to work.

" I talked to Tom," she said.

" You ... you did? " Jack asked, sounding suprised.

" Yeah, this morning," she replied, " I missed him, and I was sick of ... sick of not having him around. Tom's always been there. I just ... we agreed that we miss each other, and we just want to talk again. "

Jack nodded.

" I'm going around to his place tonight. "

" Oh? " Jack asked, sounding a bit unhappy.

" Don't worry," Becky said, " I know what you're thinking. "

Jack nodded, as they turned a corner in the car, " Then you know I'm only looking out for you. I'm just worried that you and him will get into another argument, and you'll get hurt again. I know how much you've hated arguing with him, but ... just don't get into an argument over me, yeah? I don't want to come between you and him. It's been hard for him too. "

She nodded, though she couldn't help but think Tom wasn't the only one it was hard for, but she wasn't going to to go Tom's and try and make him see how hard it was for Jack - she didn't want to argue now.

" D'you want to come with me? " Becky asked, looking over her shoulder at Maxine, " I thought you might like to see the girls. "

Maxine nodded, " Yeah. Chlo and me have got this french project to do anyway, so we could maybe start on that. "

Becky smiled.

When they were getting ready to leave the house that evening, Maxine was in the hallway putting on her coat, and Becky wandered into the living room where Jack was sitting in his favourite armchair a frown on his face as he leant over what looked like some nasty paperwork.

" Honey, we're going," Becky said.

Jack looked up, " See you soon," he said as she leaned down and claimed a kiss from him.

" Try not to miss me too much. "


	6. Heartbreak

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Six

Three days later, Becky pulled up in the school car park. She got out of the car, as did Jack and Maxine, and took a bag of marking from the boot, as well as her handbag, and something wrapped up in shiny blue wrapping paper.

" Did you pick up your french project? " Becky asked Maxine, slamming down the boot.

Maxine nodded, " Yeah. Though Haydock won't be happy with it, whatever happens. Anyway, see you 3rd lesson. "

" See you later sweetie," Becky called, " have a nice day! "

Maxine walked away, and Becky tried to juggle the present, her bag and the the bag of marking. Jack smiled at her and took away the bag of marking, " Let me take that," he said.

Becky thanked him, and as they started to walk across the car park, she saw Tom and the girls getting out of the car.

" I'm just going to - " she started, before trailing off - Tom and Jack still hadn't spoken and it wasn't ideal for Becky but she was managing. But she didn't want Jack to feel uncomfortable either.

" It's okay," he said, " just go. "

She grinned and walked forwards, leaving Jack to hang back. She crossed the car park quickly, and she was soon in front of her brother.

" Happy Birthday! " she said brightly, holding out the present.

He laughed, " Hey, thanks, come here. "

He pulled her into a big warm hug and she smiled as she clung to him quite tightly. When they broke apart, he took the present from her.

Becky grinned, " Another year older. 32 now. Are you feeling old yet? "

" Hey, I'm not over the hill yet! " Tom told her, " still young! "

" Oh shut up and open the present," Becky said, rolling her eyes.

Tom grinned and as he started working on the wrapping paper, Becky turned to the girls, both of whom she was incredibly fond of.

" You two alright? " she asked, although she could see that Chlo looked very far away - like something was bothering her. " Chlo? "

Mika shook her head and smiled, " Chlo's just worried because she's still not doing so well in french, but Brett's being tutoring her, so she's going to be okay. "

Becky smiled, " Is that it? You're worried about french? Don't worry too much, sweetie. Bit of hard work, and you'll get there - especially if Brett's tutoring you. "

Chlo still looked worried, but tried to smile.

" How're things going at the flat? " Becky asked, " I bet you love having a place of your own, don't you? "

Chlo nodded, " Yeah, it's good, yeah. "

" You two should come around to ours this weekend," Becky told the girls, " come over on Saturday night, we'll order some pizza, and the three of us and Maxine can eat pizza and watch a couple of chick-flicks. It's been too long since you've spent some time with your favourite almost-aunt. "

Mika looked at Tom, " Can we? "

He nodded, " Can for me. "

" Right," Becky said, with a smile, before turning to look at Tom, " do you like them? Is it okay? "

He nodded, holding the little blue box in his hands. It was open, and he'd found out that it contained a pair of fancy looking cufflinks.

" They're great," he said, " I lost my last pair. Thanks, darlin'. "

Becky smiled and kissed his cheek, " See you later Tommy. "

Becky left he and the girls alone, and walked across to where Jack was. Jack smiled and they walked into the school together. When they got just inside, Jack asked her,

" Where to? "

" Just got to drop the books off at my classroom, then I'll go up to the staffroom and get a coffee, I think," she replied, as they stopped inside the main entrance.

Jack nodded, " Then maybe I'll catch up with you at lunch, love. "

" I'm sure you will," Becky said, turning her back on him with a smile. She had only taken a couple of steps away before she heard him say,

" What d'you think you're doing? "

She turned around, " You what? "

He raised his eyebrows, " Trying to leave without a kiss? "

She smiled and slowly walked back to him, and when she stopped in front of him, she reached up and took his face in her hands, getting on her tip toes and planting her lips firmly on his.

Her hands were on his cheeks and she was in completely control. Jack had expected a quick kiss when he'd cheekily asked her to come back for one, so he was very pleased with this.

She kissed passionately, and when they broke away, he grinned.

" You are really something, Rebecca," he told her, " see you at lunch. "

Becky smiled and went off to her classroom. She left the bag of marking behind, opened the blinds of the classroom, and then put her handbag over her shoulder and started towards the staffroom.

The staffroom was upstairs, which meant passing the main entrance of the school, and as Becky did so, she heard a lot of noise from outside. More noise than was usual. They were shouting, like some kind of riot, and since she was already there, Becky moved closer to the entrance where she could see what was going on.

Her eyes widened when she saw a large group of kids gathered around one end of the playground, near where a large black car was parked. In front of the car, was Donte, swinging a baseball bat at the car.

Becky rushed outside.

She rushed towards the crowd, and she moved through the crowd, getting to the front of it, where Chlo was stood in front of the rest of the school kids.

" Donte! Stop it! " Chlo screamed.

Eddie was also there, standing near Chlo.

" Eddie, what the hell's going on? " Becky asked, watching in horror as Donte swung the bat at the car - she couldn't believe what he was doing and she stared in complete horror.

" The little sod's smashing up my car! " Eddie said.

" Why? " Becky cried out, " Chlo, what's going on? "

Chlo shook her head, looking like she was about to cry, unable to say anything. Becky took a slight step forwards, " Donte! What the hell are you doing? Stop it! "

Donte turned around angrily and he was breathing deeply. He caught Becky's eye and for a moment looked like he wanted to say something to his godmother, before shaking his head and turning back to give the car another hit.

There were shouts from behind them, as Jack pushed his way through the crowd of kids and was soon coming to meet them.

" What the hell's going on? " he demanded, shaking his head, " Chlo, come on love, move back a bit. "

" Donte! " Chlo shouted, shaking her head, trying to make him listen to her, " Don't make this worse - stop it! "

Donte turned around angrily, the baseball bat swinging in his hand, " Worse? How could it be worse? I thought you loved me! "

" I do! " Chlo screamed.

" Yeah? " Donte asked, having everyone's attention, and leaving everyone curious, " then why'd you go shag someone else then? "

There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Becky felt so sorry for Donte for having to face the fact that his girlfriend had cheated, but knew this was no way to solve it, and felt so sorry for Chlo too - they were just kid, they couldn't deal with all of this.

" And Brett Aspinall of all people! " Donte shouted angrily.

There was another gasp, and Chlo started to sob, shaking her head. Becky couldn't believe what Chlo had done, but she was young, she was a kid and right now she needed comfort. Becky moved from where she stood between Eddie and Jack to try and put her arm around Chlo,

" Come on sweetie, let's go inside," she said, " this isn't the way to solve anything, let's leave him. He might stop if you get inside. "

Chlo was sobbing too much to reply and Becky looked helplessly at Jack, who shook his head.

" Give us the bat, Donte, and we can go inside and talk," Jack tried.

" I don't want to talk," Donte told Jack, looking close to tears, " I just want everyone to know that my wife is a dirty little slag! And I want her to stay away from me. Forever. "

Then he turned around, back to the car and hit it again with the baseball bat, taking out all of his furstration on it.

Becky couldn't believe what was happening and knew that someone had to stop it. She didn't think Donte would listen to Jack or Eddie, but he might listen to her.

She was his godmother and he came around to the house at least once a week to see her, and spoke to her after class sometimes. He might listen to her.

In that moment, she decided to approach him, throwing aside all thoughts of care for herself. She stepped forwards, hesitated, and then walked forwards slowly.

She was focused on stopping Donte and getting him back inside, and getting him to calm down.

Jack noticed Becky walking towards Donte, and he shouted, " Hey! Woah! Rebecca! "

Donte hadn't heard Jack's shout, due to all the noise he was making and did't know that his godmother was walking up behind him. Becky walked quite swiftly now, while Jack shook his head.

" Rebecca, get back here! " he ordered, full-naming her, which she knew meant he was annoyed, but she wasn't going to listen to him. She just wanted the situation to end.

The kids were watching with fascination as Jack moved forwards, set on dragging his future wife out of the way, where she couldn't get hurt.

Becky was right behind Donte now, and she started to say his name, reaching out to put her hand on his shoulder, Donte swung the bat towards the car again, hitting one of the windows and causing glass to shatter everywhere.

Becky had just enough time to throw her arms in front of her face as she tried to turn away, and Jack shouted,

" Rebecca! Get out of the way! "

Donte turned around on hearing his godmother's name and he gasped when he saw she'd been right behind him,

" Becky! " he cried, " I'm so sorry. Becky, I'm sorry. "

Jack was already charging forwards and grabbing hold of Donte. He spared a look for Becky - and Becky knew he was torn between grabbing and looking after her, and grabbing Donte.

It seemed that injuring his godmother had made Donte stop what he was doing and calm down.

Becky hissed in pain as she looked down at her arms. Where she'd thrown them both over her face, she saw that there were shards of glass there, and she was horrified to see the bits of glass stuck in her arms. There was one particularly deep looking cut.

She looked up to see that Jack was looking at her, and he looked furious, though she could tell he was trying to reign it in, " Rebecca, go to the office. Do not remove the glass from your arms," he said, before starting to walk forwards, still holding onto Donte, " come on, that's enough from you, kid. "

Becky followed behind Jack and Donte, and Eddie caught up with them after getting rid of the crowd who'd been watching.

" Becky," Eddie said, " are you alright? "

Becky looked up at him and nodded, " I ... it stings, and ... well, it hurts actually but - "

" Well just don't pull out any of the glass," said Eddie, " we'll get you patched up. It was stupid of you to go up to him when he'd got the bat - you could have been hurt much worse. "

Jack looked over his shoulder at her, from where he and Donte were walking in front, " I'm glad someone else thinks it was stupid too. You'd better not ever do something so stupid again, Rebecca. "

When they walked through the outer office, Jack stopped to grab the first aid box from under Bridget's desk and asked Bridget to get Tom to come to the office.

Then he wrapped his arm around Becky's waist as they walked into the office,

" Come here, sit on the desk," he mumbled, the anger gone from his face and replaced by worry and concern as he practically liifted her onto his desk.

He opened the first aid box and pulled out some wipes - they were wet wipes and he looked down at her arms. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a red shirt, with her trademark high heels.

He looked over his shoulder at Donte, " You picked the wrong place to have a domestic," he said, as he stood in front of his girlfriend and lifted one of her arms towards him. He wiped at her arm, starting with her left arm, which was in a better state than the other, and wiping the blood, which had dried, away.

" And the wrong car," Eddie said.

" Becky, I'm so sorry," Donte said, shaking his head, " I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't realise you were there. I'm sorry. "

Becky nodded, " I know. "

Eddie frowned, " It might be nice if you could apologise to other people too. "

Donte took no notice and asked Becky, " Are you ok? "

" Rebecca's going to be fine," Jack said, " just needs a little cleaning up. But you, you're throwing away all the good work you've been doing to turn yourself around, over something stupid. And in the process, injuring the very person who's stuck up for you in the staffroom and convinced me several times over that you're worth another chance. You know I'm going to have to exclude you, and I'm close to calling the cops. "

" Good, go on! " Donte snapped.

" No, jack, don't," said Becky, shaking her head as he gently wiped away the bits of dried blood on her arm, before putting her arm down and reaching for the other.

" Allow me! " Eddie said, still fuming about his car and snatching up the phone.

Jack frowned, shaking his head." Donte, will you wait outside for a moment? "

Once Donte had left, Jack looked at Eddie, though he was still holding Becky's right arm, holding her wrist carefully.

" Whatever happen to your "lets help the poor kids"? " Jack asked Eddie, frowning.

" My car's damaged! " Eddie said furiously.

" If we push for charges," Jack said, getting annoyed as he tried to make Eddie see sense and his grip on Becky's wrist tightening, although he didn't realise it, " if we push for charges, they'll bang him up. "

" Jack," Becky breathed, looking down at her arm. He apologised and loosened his grip before Becky continued, " we can't let them bang him up. He's a good kid, he's just misguided. He never had proper support and guidance from parents. "

" But my car's damaged! And what he did to you ... it's assault! " Eddie told her.

" Please," Jack said, shaking his head, " he's very sorry he hurt Becky. After all it's the only thing he _did _apologise for. "

" He's my godson, Eddie," said Becky, " we're not pressing charges. "

" The union will sort out your car," Jack told his deputy," but if word of this gets out to the press, I'm not sure I could repair that damage. I'll sort it, ok? "

Eddie nodded, and the door opened.

" I got a message that you wanted to see me? " Tom said, not looking too impressed at being called to the office of a man he was mad with.

Jack was about to say something, before Tom caught sight of his sister and he panicked at once, at the sight of her sitting down with scratches on one arm, and the other arm with cuts, and a few bits of glass even sticking out of it.

" Becky! Are you alright? "

He moved forwards and Jack stepped aside for him.

" I'm fine," Becky said, shaking her head, " honestly, I'm fine. "

Tom stopped just in front of her and he stared, " What the hell happened? What ... how? "

" Tommy, don't panic like that," Becky said, shaking her head, " I'm fine. Just a few cuts. Jack's patching me up - I'm ok. I'll explain ... we'll explain it in a minute. "

Eddie cleared his throat, " I guess I'll leave you lot to it. "

Jack nodded, " Thanks Eddie, you can send Donte back in. "

Eddie left the room and returned a moment later, " He's gone. "

Jack swore under his breath before shaking his head. Eddie left, and Jack turned back to Tom and Becky. He asked if Tom would give them ten minutes while Becky got patched up.

Tom nodded, telling the headmaster that he had to do some photocopying anyway.

When Tom left the room, Becky sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. Jack reached out and took hold of her wrist and pulled her arm out.

" Ok baby, it might hurt a bit," he said, his expression one of tenderness.

He carefully pulled out one of the shards of glass from her arm with a pair of tweezers, then immediately covered it with a wipe to get rid of the blood that followed. Becky hissed in pain, and Jack looked very sorry.

" Baby, I'm sorry, does it hurt much? "

She shook her head, " It just stung. I'm ok. Look at me - I'm ok, aren't I? I'm ok. "

Jack didn't reply, and he was silent for a couple of minutes as he cleaned up her arm with such a tender expression, and such gentleness that she loved him even more than ever.

By the time he was done, she wore three large plasters on one arm, and the other was covered in small scratches.

Jack stepped back and took hold of both of her hands, " There you go," he said, " feel ok? "

She nodded.

" Good," he said, before dropping her hands and taking another step back. " Now I don't ever want you to do something that stupid again. "

" What? " Becky asked, confused as to how he could go from being so caring to telling her off.

" I'm serious, Rebecca," Jack said, shaking his head, " it was stupid of you to do what you did. I mean, the boy had a baseball bat, and you decided to walk over there. You're lucky he didn't hit _you _with the bat while swinging it back. And you're bloody lucky to have got off with just a little bit of glass in your arms. What if it had been your face, or what if something really bad had happened? Don't you ever do anything that stupid again! "

" Jack I was trying to help," Becky said, shaking her head, " I thought he'd listen to me. "

Jack sighed and then stepped forwards, taking hold of her hands, " I'm serious! Don't ever scare me like that - I thought something terrible was going to happen to you. I ... just don't get yourself hurt like that again, yeah? "

She nodded, " Ok, Ok. Now don't be mad with me, 'k? "

" It's just because I care," Jack said, " and I want to look after you. "

" I know you do, and I love you for it," Becky said.

Jack smiled and lifted up one of her arms, and he planted light kisses over her plasters, and then over the scratches on her other arm, before letting go of her arms.

" Thank you," Becky said, " for taking such good care of me. "

He nodded, " It's my job," he said, before going to sit behind his desk, " would you tell your brother he can come in now? I think we're going to have to explain this to him, and Eddie's organised cover for the first little bit of your lesson. "

Becky nodded and she went and opened the office door, " Tom," she said, " I think there's something you ought to know about. "

Tom was walking towards the door before she knew what was happening and he hugged her tightly, to which she smiled when the broke apart a few moments later, " I'm ok. It's fine. "

Tom took a seat in the office and Jack tried to break the news that Tom's son in law had smashed up a teacher's car and in the process hurt Tom's sister, because Tom's step-daughter had cheated on him with the boyfriend of Tom's other stepdaughter

Tom groaned, unable to believe it and Jack apologised for having to break the news.

Becky felt sorry for her brother because he was going to have to find away for his two daughters to get through this and it was going to be a difficult job.

Chlo came into the room when they were finished explaining to Tom what was happening, and she looked about to cry again.

" Tom," she started, only to be cut off when Tom stood up and shook his head. He pulled her into a big hug and she clung to him the way Becky herself had many times in the past.

" What's going to happen to Donte? " Chlo asked Jack, biting her lip, " it was my fault, really. "

Jack shook his head, " There was no excusing what he did - I didn't see _you _smashing any cars up. "

" Come on love," Tom said, laying a hand in the small of her back, " let Jack take care of Donte, and I'll take care of you. "

Chlo nodded, before looking at Becky, glancing at her arms before wincing. " Are you alright? " she asked him, " I ... it was brave of you to go and try and help. "

Jack smiled at the teenage girl before Becky had a chance to reply.

" She's fine. Let Tom take care of you, and I'll take care of Rebecca," he said.

Chlo smiled and Tom glanced at Jack before looking to Becky and giving her a smile. He and Chlo left the room together, and left Jack with Becky.

" I've got to get back to class," Becky told Jack, standing up, she headed for the door, and as she did so, Jack crossed the room, stopping a few feet away from her.

" Hey," he said with a smile, reaching out for her hand. She smiled and stretched out her hand.

She smiled, expecting him to give her hand a squeeze, but he stepped forwards, and grinned.

"Love you," he said, reaching down and picking up her hand. He planted a kiss on the back of her hand before stepping back, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go.

" Love you," she grinned, before leaving him.

She went back to her class, and took over from the supply teacher, to find the classroom in complete chaos. The kids were unruly and just didn't want to listen to anything she had to say, and just kept asking questions about Donte and the car and chatting away about it.

At break time, she went to the staffroom, and she made herself a cup of tea before sitting down with Tom, Jasmine and Davina.

" Hey," Becky grinned, sitting down. She pulled her handbag onto her knee, and whipped out a glossy magazine, before tossing her bag onto the floor.

" What you got there? " asked Jasmine with a smile.

Becky grinned, flipping into a couple of pages, " Wedding magazine. I'm going for a dress this weekend, I think. I know kind of what I want, so I'm just trying to find the perfect thing - there's loads of great things in here. "

" Oh, a Christmas wedding," Jasmine smiled, " isn't it just perfect? "

Becky smiled, " It was the one detail Jack really pushed for, so I had to give it to him. And we got engaged around christmas time so it was just ... right. "

Jasmine smiled, and as Becky poured over the magazine, Tom frowned a little. It was hard to think of his little sister getting married - she was too young, he was sure, and she seemed far too young to be getting married.

The grin on Becky's face showed everyone exactly how happy she was, and a moment later, Grantly and Steph joined them due to the lack of seats.

" God, my lot have been a nightmare," sighed Steph.

" Mine too," Jasmine said, shaking her head, " they just won't stop talking about this morning. "

" Couldn't get them to do _any _work," Steph continued.

" Mine were the same," Becky said, sighing as she idly turned the page, " especially since half of them saw me getting hit by all the glass this morning. "

" If it helps, mine were abysmal too," Tom said, shaking his head.

" No-one's blaming you, Tom," Becky told him, as she spotted a little tiara that she thought would be perfect.

" Thanks," Tom said, attempting a weak smile.

" What will you do about the girls, Tom? " Jasmine asked in concern.

" Yeah listen," Steph said, leaning forwards with a little smile, " if either of the girls ever need a motherly shoulder to cry on, just send them my way. "

Tom looked confused, and Becky laughed, " I think Jack and I have got to monopoly on dysfunctional teenage girls, thanks to Maxine. "

Steph gave her a sickly sweet smile, " You and Jack have everything, don't you? "

Becky didn't like the tone of her voice, or the smirk that followed, and she shook her head before turning back to the magazine, trying not to let it bother her.

The next thing anyone knew, Janeece had run into the middle of the staffroom.

She loudly announced that Chlo and Mika were fighting in the corridor, and Tom swore as he got to his feet. Tom and a couple of other teachers started towards the door, and Becky sighed - poor Tom.

The very next hour, Becky had Mika in her class.

Mika sat at the back of the room, and spent most of the lessons staring out of the window but Becky couldn't bring herself to tell the girl to pay attention - she couldn't imagine the pain Mika must be going through, and knew how difficult it must be for her.

By the time lunch came around, Becky was sick of hearing about the whole incident from her pupils, and wished it had never happened, so poor Chlo and Mika and Donte wouldn't have gotten hurt.

When she entered Jack's office, his smile was a comfort to her and she smiled in return and came to sit on his desk.

Jack sighed, " How was your morning? "

" Nightmare," sighed Becky, running a hand through her hair, " the kids won't stop talking about what happened, and won't stop asking questions. And poor Mika looks heartbroken - can't imagine what it's like for her. And Chlo - she's just a kid. And poor Donte - he's so confused and hurt. "

" They'll be ok," Jack said, " the girls have got you and Tom, and Donte's got you. They'll be ok. "

Becky nodded.

She and Jack tried to talk about things that weren't work, and were doing a very good job of it. Once they'd eaten, Jack sighed and looked away.

Something seemed to be troubling Jack, and Becky was instantly worried - she had no idea what was going on, but she didn't like the look on his face.

" Becky," he said, suddenly meeting her eyes, " we're good together aren't we? And you know I love you? "

She raised her eyebrows, " What's going on, Jack? "

" Nothing," he said, shaking his head.

" Jack? " she asked, shaking her head, " is everything alright? "

He looked like he had something to tell her and he shook his head, " It's Steph," he said, " she's ... she's just starting to grate on me. All her snide comments and the way she looks and - "

Becky shook her head, " Don't even think about her. It frustrates me too, but she's ... well, as much as it annoys me, I know she's just jealous because I've got you and she hasn't. "

Jack nodded, " Course she is. I guess ... never mind. "

Becky nodded too, " Exactly. Never mind her. "

Jack smiled, and reached out for Becky's hand. She willingly gave her hand and squeezed his warmly, smiling at him sweetly.

" God, you're so beautiful," Jack said.

She laughed, " I'm not. "

" Yes you are," Jack said, " far too beautiful for a guy like me. " His voice was low and flirtacious and just so sexy that it made her smile softly.

He reached out for her other hand and grinned at her.

" I can't wait to hear you say I do," he told her.

She giggled, holding onto both of his hands from where she sat opposite him, on his desk, " How about we have a little practise then? " she said.

Jack laughed.

Becky grinned, " Let's see ... I do. " She laughed, " how was that? "

" That, my darling, was perfect," Jack said, lifting up one of her hands and kissing the back of it.

Becky laughed, " In that case ... I do, I do, I do. Hmm, look at that - I do. "

Before she knew what had happened, Jack was one his feet, pulling her arms around him and kissing her lips passionately. They kissed for a long moment, before Jack kissed her cheek, before whispering in her ear.

" You don't know what you do to me," he said, his voice husky.

" Please," she mumbled, " just stop talking and kiss me. "

He smiled and leaned in. She giggled and reached up to cup his face in her hands as their lips met. He always tasted so wonderful, she thought, and he always knew what he was doing.

Just as the kiss was getting heated, the bell for the afternoon rang.

Becky sighed as Jack broke their kiss, and she pouted.

Jack laughed and pecked her lips lightly, before tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

" I'll see you after school, love," he said, " what's your afternoon going to be like? "

" Year 9 class next, they're not so bad, and then some free time, so I can catch up on some marking," she replied, standing up and flattening down her hair, " see you later, honey. "

Becky taught her year nines with a smile on her face, thinking about her handsome boyfriend.

At the end of the lesson, she took some marking to the staffroom, where there was a good coffee machine - her office was a lovely place when she wanted quiet, but there was nowhere else in the school to get coffee from, not like there was in the staffroom.

She sat down in one of her favourite armchairs and pulled a year 13 essay onto her knee, pulled out her red marking pen and set the mug of coffee down on the table in front of her.

The room was very quiet.

Matt was making himself a drink, and Steph was just leaving the room. She spared a rather nasty glance for Becky as she did so, and Becky frowned.

When Steph had gone, Becky sighed heavily.

Matt, who Becky rarely spoke to, although he was a friend of Tom's, came and sat down opposite her, clearly having heard and seen her movements.

" You alright? " he asked, sitting down opposite her.

She forced a smile, " Fine. "

Anyone would have known she was lying, and Matt did too. " Really? " he asked, " just thought you might like to talk, since you're here ... I'm here ... no-one else is. "

She sighed, putting aside the essay, " I'm just sick of Steph and her stupid snide comments - it's all the time! Jack told me about her at lunch you know," she added, thinking about Jack telling her how Steph was always annoying him too.

Matt seemed completely suprised and he shook his head, " Really? And you're ok with it? "

Becky sighed, thinking about the way she felt every time Steph made one of her stupid comments and gave her one of those looks, " It's to be expected, I suppose. "

Matt shook his head, looking away from her, " Well," he said, " I suppose it was just one stupid night. "

Becky was about to nod until she realised what he'd said. The words suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks and she shook her head, confused, " What are you talking about? "

" Wait, what are _you _talking about? " he returned.

The look on his face told her he was worried he'd given too much away, but Becky had to know. She had a terrible feeling.

" Matt," she said, putting her pen down and looking straight at him, " what night? " She was starting to panic as she put it together, thinking about what he'd just said, " Jack ... Steph ... one stupid night? "

Matt shook his head, before putting his head in his hands, " I shouldn't have said anything. Rebecca, I am so sorry. "

" N-no," Becky whispered, a haunted look coming across her face - it all seemed so ridiculous but she didn't know what else those words could mean, " you're not ... you're not saying, Jack and Steph ... that Jack and Steph ... they ... he wouldn't - Matt, has Jack slept with Steph? "

Matt didn't look at her.

" Matt, please," she whispered, a panicked look crossing her face. He simply nodded, before mumbling, " I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you, I'm so sorry. "

" When? " she ground out

" Just one night, I'm sure," Matt said, very much looking like he didn't want to answer, " when ... when you went on that course. "

Becky felt like someone had stuck a knife through her.

Jack. Steph. Together.

When he was in such a terrible state and she was so worried about leaving him alone. And the moment she was gone ... and it was two weeks ago.

And in that two weeks he'd been so loving and caring, while knowing he'd cheated on her.

Jack was so loving and sweet and caring. He was so nice to her, and he loved her so much. She thought he was so loyal and caring - she thought he was the perfect boyfriend. She felt happier around him than she ever had and they were making so many plans for their future.

And now he was ... he'd ... she couldn't believe it.

She took a deep breath, and then another couple, before standing up. She ran her hand through her hair, and her hands were shaking. She felt like crying, but she felt so angry too.

" Jack ... Steph ... he wouldn't do that to me," she mumbled, starting towards the door, before turning back again, " he ... how could he ... with Steph ... and ... " she took a deep breath before she narrowed her eyes and made her decision. " I'm going to kill him. "

As she left the staffroom, the door slamming behind her, and charged down the corridors.

She felt like her world had just ended - she and Jack had everything, and he'd betrayed her. Betrayed everything they stood for, and everything they had. He'd come home to her and whispered sweet nothing, kissed her, held her, all the while knowing he'd slept with someone else.

She breathed deeply all the way to the office, trying to keep herself calm, and she managed to supress the tears. She was ready to kill him. She thought they were in love, but clearly, they weren't.

_He _wasn't.

She walked through the outer office, passing Bridget as she did so without a word, and the opened the door to the office without knocking, because she never did.

Jack was sitting behind his desk, doing some paperwork, when she walked in.

He looked up and smiled softly, but she was in no mood to return soft smiles.

She strode up to the desk and looked down at him. " I know. "

" Know? " Jack asked, looking up, confused.

" Don't mess me about, you bastard! " Becky said, pointing her finger in his direction, looking down and taking a sharp breath before looking back at him, " I _know _you slept with Steph! "

Jack hung his head in shame.

Becky wanted to murder him as she looked at him, and she could feel her eyes welling up now she was faced with him. She couldn't even begin to describe the pain he'd caused her - she loved him, and this was how he'd treated her. It felt like he'd ripped her heart out.

" She told you? " Jack asked, looking back up at her, looking completely heartbroken.

Becky bit her lip, trying to hold back a sob, " No! I found out from Matt Wilding off all people! How many people know? "

There was no reply, and Becky looked away, trying to reign herself in, but she couldn't, and she pointed her finger at him, eyes welling up, " When I was off on that course, worring about leaving my poor traumatised boyfriend behind, and looking forwards to coming back to his loving arms, he - you - were off, shagging Steph! "

" It wasn't like that," Jack told her, meeting her eyes, looking very upset, " I love you. "

The words were like someone had stabbed her - she couldn't listen to that - it meant nothing now. " Don't you _dare _tell me that! " Becky told him sharply, turning her back on him and walking into the middle of the office before turning around again to face him.

Jack looked about to cry, and he couldn't face the thought of losing her - he'd do anything to get out of this. " I was drunk," Jack said, " she was drunk, it was nothing. "

" She's wanted you for ages! " Becky pointed out, shouting at him, " she'll have planned it all out, and you just let her have you, Jack! _All _of you! I thought you were mine! I thought _I _was _yours_! And Steph Haydock of all people! What would you want with her, when you had me? And the moment I was gone, so were you - with her. "

" It wasn't like that," Jack pleaded, standing up quickly, and almost knocking his chair over in the process, " We were drunk and I _never _meant to do it. I definitley never meant to hurt you. I was going to tell you the moment you got back but I was so happy to see you, and I couldn't let it come between us. "

He looked so desperate and Becky was close to tears.

She couldn't bring herself down from the intense anger cloud she was on and she felt like she had every right to - he'd betrayed her, and there was no excuse.

She had to tell him everything. He had to know exactly how he'd hurt her.

She sniffed, " You've let me be so happy, and plan my wedding, plan my future, when all the while yo've betrayed me! The moment that I was gone - "

" Don't do this," Jack said, looking quite close to tears himself, " I ... you can't ... we - "

" There _is _no "we" anymore! " Becky told him angrily.

Jack shook his head, coming around to the other side of his desk. He tried to reach out for her, but she stepped back.

" Don't," she warned him.

He shook his head and tried to move forwards. She wasn't expecting it, and he was right in front of her. She shook her head and reached out with both hands, giving him a half hearted shove in the chest which sent him a few steps backwards, as he was so suprised by it.

" There is no "we"," she repeated, a tear falling now, quickly followed by another, " I need to be with someone I can trust, and I'd rather have no-one than someone I can't trust. "

" We can make it work," Jack said, shaking his head, " we'll be ok. I love you. "

She saw red as he tried to move forwards again and she was in more pain than she'd ever been - she started to think that their whole relationship was worthless thanks to this. She wanted me make him feel even a fraction of the pain she had, and when he took another step forwards, coupled with the "I love you", she saw red.

Her hand was flying forwards before she even knew it, and it collided sharply with the side of his face as she tried to shove him away, sending his face snapping to one side.

" Don't ever tell me that again," she sobbed, " and don't you ever try and touch me again. "

Jack immediately turned bck to look at her despite the hurt in his eyes and the bright red mark across his cheek. A silent tear rolled down Jack's cheek too, and she couldn't even muster up any feelings other than her own anger and pain.

" Please," Jack whispered.

" I can't," Becky said, shaking her head.

" Rebecca, you're _everything _to me! " he told her, hoping he could still win her back, " as soon as I met you, I knew I needed you - you're everything to me. We are so good together. "

" You were everything to me too! " she said, taking a breath and trying to calm herself, though it didn't work, " everything! And now you've gone and thrown away two years of a brilliant relationship! Two years, and I bloody loved you! "

" Don't use the past tense," Jack said, his voice quiet.

" Stop interrupting me! " she snapped, before taking another breath and continuing in a quieter voice, though the tears were falling more and more, " You're going to listen to how I feel now: I've let my guard down. I've trusted you like I've never trusted anyone else. You're ... you're the first person ... you ... I never loved anyone until I met you. I fell in love with you, like an idiot, and totally opened up to you, trusted you completely, built my life around you. "

By now the tears were streaming down her cheeks silently and she stopped to wipe them away.

She continued in a shaky voice, " How am I ever supposed to trust you again when you've betrayed me like this? I ... I can't believe you'd do this to me. "

Becky shook her head when he tried to reach for her again, despite the red mark on his cheek from where she'd hit him, and she started for the door.

" Becky! Please, listen to me! " Jack said just as she got the door open, and she turned to look at him, though she was holding the door open.

Neither of them cared that Bridget, behind her desk, could hear every word.

" Oh no," she said, " we're through. "

Jack shook his head, " But the wedding ... please ... "

" There will be no wedding! " she told him angrily, " You ... oh Jack, we were only talking about having kids a few days ago, and you knew you'd cheated on me! "

She heard the door open behind but barely registered it, as she told him, " There will be no wedding, no kids, no happy ever after. No me and you. "

" Becky! " Jack shouted as she tried to walk away, only to turn around and walk straight into Eddie.

" I'm sorry," she said, trying to wipe away her tears as she stepped out of his way.

Eddie looked between the pair of them in complete shock before looking at Jack, " I need a word, it's urgent. "

" I'm busy," Jack said, though Becky was walking away from him, " Becky, we need to talk. "

Becky turned around, her hand on the door of the outer office, " We're through. Don't worry Eddie, I wouldn't dream of coming between Jack and a member of his staff! "

She stormed off and as she walked down the corridor, couldn't believe what had just happened. She and Jack were supposed to be perfect, and he'd ruined it.

She headed to her classroom, where she needed silence and she needed somewhere to cry all by herself.

As she got to the classroom, she threw open the door, and stopped still when she saw Matt sitting on her desk.

Matt looked immediately sorry for her, and he cleared his throat, " Um ... I ... I'm sorry, it's just, you left your things in the staffroom so I thought I'd bring them back for you, then I thought I'd better watch your handbag in case anyone came along. "

" Thank you," Becky mumbled.

" I'm sorry," Matt said, " you shouldn't have to go through all this - "

" It's not your fault," Becky said, looking up at him as he came to stand in front of her, ad concentrating very hard on not crying, " I'd have found out eventually, and it was better to find out as early as possible. "

Matt nodded, " Are you alright? "

She shook her head, taking a deep breath as her eyes welled up with tears which she refused to let fall. " I think I want to be alone," she told him, " but thanks anyway. "

Matt looked hesitant but he nodded and left the room.

When he'd gone, Becky looked over at the time - twenty minutes until the end of the school day. She was determined that she wasn't going to fall to pieces, and she knew she'd got to grab some bits of paperwork from her office for the weekend.

She took her bags, locked the classroom and went to her office in a zombie like state. She shut the door and after she'd pulled out what she needed, she sat down in her desk chair.

She looked around the office, before shaking her head and allowing the tears to take over.

She'd never felt more hurt and couldn't make sense of any of it.

By the time the bell rang for the end of the day, she'd cried herself all out, and was stuffing her things in her bag. She was starting to feel very numb and was planning on where she could go now.

As she was putting the papers in her handbag, the door opened.

Her heart hammered ten times faster when she saw Jack standing there. He didn't come in, but lingered in the door way.

" Jack, leave me alone," she said, shaking her head.

" Please, don't throw me out," Jack said, looking very distressed, " please, please, hear me out. I just want to be heard out. "

She sighed and nodded, deciding that they weren't through. He should at least have the chance to explain, she thought, and she nodded.

Jack walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He stopped in the middle of the room and bit his lip nervously before he started.

" Me and Steph," he said, making her flinch, " it was one night. One night, when I didn't know what I was doing. The pills are making me see things wrong, I ... it was all so wrong. "

Becky held up her hand and he obediently stopped, knowing better than to anger her, though he wanted to fight for her.

" I thought I could listen to this, but I can't," she said, " I've spent two years loving you, and I trusted you completely. " She slowly got to her feet and walked around to his side of the desk, " It hurts to think that I never would have doubted your loyalty for a second. And you _knew _that. Then you do this to me. "

She took a deep breath as she started to think about the future, and she came to one very big realisation. " I can't do this anymore. "

She felt the tears about to fall again and she forced herself to keep calm, pushing the emotions down and reaching down to take hold of her own hand. She slowly slid her beautiful engagement ring from the fourth finger of her left hand, and held it out.

" Have it back," she said.

" I don't want it back," Jack said, " put it back on. "

" I can't," she said, certain that she couldn't do this, " I can't do this anymore. Please, take it back. You bought it ... you should have it back. "

" No," he said, taking a step back as she tried to push it into his hand, " I won't take it back - I won't let you end us. "

She shook her head and turned to put it on her desk, " I'll leave it there. You can take it or leave it for all I care. "

Jack shook his head and moved forwards, " Please, _please, _Rebecca, what have I got to do for you to forgive me? I ... I ... " he ran his hand across his face and took a deep breath before suddenly getting down on his knees, " please, I'm begging you. " Tears were falling down his cheeks by now, " I'm begging you, please forgive me, you're everything to me. "

She shook her head, " Just get up, Jack. "

He sighed and reached out for her hand, which she - so upset and heartbroke - allowed to happen because she could feel herself breaking down and weakening.

He squeezed her hand and said, " Please forgive me, we're so good together. We love each other. "

He shuffled forwards on his knees and she watched as he slowly put his hands on her waist. As always, his hands on her body felt so perfect, and she allowed him to slid his hands around her middle and rest his head against her hip.

He hugged her waist, and she felt herself growing weaker and weaker.

She reached out and she rested one hand on top of his head gently, allowing her fingers to thread through his thick hair. She sighed and closed her eyes and as he hugged her waist. She started to give in, forgetting the fact that he'd betrayed her trust, shown that he didn't love her like she thought he did, shown her that he couldn't be trusted, shown her they could never had what she thought they could.

She slid her hand from his hair to his cheek and felt the tears fall against her hand. She felt the warmth of his skin, and he slowly kissed her hand, before mumbling, " I love you. "

She was about to say it back, and her lips even parted, before she suddenly realised what was going on. She pulled her hand away and shook her head, " I can't. I'm sorry Jack, but it doesn't mean anything anymore. Not when I can't trust you. "

She pushed at his arms very half heartedly, and he got the message and let go of her.

He got to his feet as he looked at her, waiting for her to do something, say something. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't going to lose her.

" I can't," she said, shaking her head before picking up her bag from her desk, before heading towards the door. She thought about staying, but she had to leave.

She walked down the corridor as quick as she could, heading out to the car park.

She felt on the verge of breaking down as she got into the car park, which was quite quiet as most of the pupils had left by now.

She was halfway to the car when she heard quick footsteps behind her and Jack's voice.

" Becky! Wait! Wait! "

She turned around and sighed when she saw him, " Jack," she said, shaking her head, " I'm so tired of all of this - I ... I can't. "

" I can't be without you," Jack said, stopping just in front of her, " I need you. And I love you. "

" Stop saying it," she told him, eyes stinging with tears again, " it hurts to hear it. "

Jack shook his head, " You've got to know," he told her, " I love you. "

" Stop it! " she said, horrified when a sob escaped her, and quickly wiped it away on the back of her hand. " Truth be told, I love you. Alright? I love you too, and you know I do, but I don't _want _to love you anymore. "

Jack shook his head. This seemed to be the final blow for him and the tears that had been threatening to fall, fell. He was crying fully now, and Becky forced herself not to feel sorry for him - he'd caused it.

He was fully crying, though his tears fell silently.

" I can't live without you," he said, his voice breaking on a sob and making him swallow before continuing, " you're everything to me, and I'm not truly happy unless I'm with you. Nothing's the same without you. "

" We're not the same," Becky said, " you've shown me what you think love is, and I don't want to be a part of this. "

She stepped towards the car.

They'd driven to school in her car today - her beloved car which Jack had bought her as a present little over a year ago, when the car she'd had for ten years before that, packed in.

She cleared her throat, not even bothering to stop the tears from falling.

" I just can't listen to any more," she said, trying not to think about the fact that it was their 2nd anniversary of getting together, tomorrow, " I'm taking my car - although since it was a gift from you, I'm sorely tempted to give you that back too - and I'm going. I won't be coming home tonight, or for the rest of the weekend. I'll leave you tell our daughter what you've done to me, and she can join me at Tom's if he doesn't want to be around you. I will see you on Monday at work, and if I want anything from the house, I'll send Tom. Don't bother trying to contact me. "

" Don't go," Jack said desperately as she yanked open the car door.

" I will see you on Monday," she said, " and I don't want to hear from you before. I'm only seeing you on monday because I have to work with you. "

Without another word, she got in the car, and drove away.

She could hardly think straight as she drove to Tom's house, and she got there to find that he'd gotten there before her. She wasn't crying anymore, and she'd managed to pull herself together.

She got out of the car, and she knocked on the front door.

When Tom answered it a moment later, yanking it open, he was frantic. " Oh, it's you," he said, shaking his head, " I thought maybe ... oh God, Becky, come in, come in. "

" Tom? " Becky asked, confused to see the state of him - he was so worried and panicked she didn't have a clue as to why, " what's going on? "

Tom didn't look at her properly as he paced back into the kitchen, " It's Chlo," he said, shaking his head, " she's gone missing. "

" Missing? " Becky repeated, shaking her head.

" She's just ... she's not here, and she skipped all of her afternoon lessons, and all of her clothes are gone. I've rung all of her friends parents and she's not anywhere.. She's run away. "

He finally turned around to face Becky and she felt like a ton of bricks had hit her.

A teenage girl going missing - Chlo could be anywhere. She was vulnerable, didn't know anywhere other than Rochdale and bits of Manchester, and anyone could get hold of her.

" Tom, I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head, " we'll find her. We'll get onto the police, and we'll find her straight away. It's ... it's going to be ok. "

He sighed heavily before looking at her.

As soon as he looked at her properly, he narrowed his eyes.

" What's happened? " he asked, taking note of the way her eyes were so red, like she'd been crying a lot. He suddenly realised there must be a reason for her coming here, but he'd been initially so convinced it must be Chlo at the door that he'd forgotten anything else.

She sighed as she followed him into the living room.

" Jack and I split up," she said, hardly able to finish the words because of a sob that escaped from her. She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head as a tear fell.

" Hey," Tom said softly, pulling her into a hug, looking completely stunned, " what happened? "

The tears continued to fall, and she curled her hand into his shirt as she rested her dead against his shoulder, his warm embrace too much for her, and all she could do was cry.

" He slept with Steph," she sniffed.

" What? " Tom demanded, pulling back a bit so he could look at her, " he's cheated on you? "

She nodded, " I ... I had to finish with him, Tommy. I couldn't be with someone I can't trust. I ... it hurts so much. "

" Oh darlin'," Tom sighed, pulling her back into his arms.

Becky didn't know how long her big brother hugged her to his chest and stroked her hair and told her he was going to kill Jack on her behalf. His arms were safe and warm and she clung to him for a very long time.

Tom wanted to look after her as much as he could and he mumbled comforting words into her ear as he stroked her hair and her back.

" You've got to stay here," he said.

She sighed as she let go of him, but she found herself too weak to stand properly. She sighed again, and Tom put his hand under her arm and guided her to the sofa, where they sat down together.

" You've got to stay here," he repeated.

" Where else am I going to go? " she asked, shaking her head, before looking at him, " I'm sorry - I got your shirt all wet. Look at the state of you. "

" Hey, you know I don't mind," Tom said, " you're going to be ok. "

" So are you," she said, " we'll find Chlo. "

They sat together in silence for a moment, before Becky sighed, " I can't believe it ... two years of a relationship, and he's ... he's thrown it all away, and just ... how could he do that to me? "

Tom shook his head and held out his arms, " Come here. "


	7. Post Split

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Author's Note: I think this chapter turned out to be mostly Tom hugging Becky, but I do love Tom and Becky as brother and sister, so here we go.**

Chapter Seven

Becky was in a terrible state that night, and all she could think about was Jack.

Tom was going spare - he had a zombie like Becky curled up on his sofa, one step-daughter gone missing with no clue as to where she could be, and the other step-daughter hating the first and hoping she'd never come back.

Mika shut herself away in her room and refused to talk to Tom, and Tom gave up - he couldn't believe that Mika would want her own sister to stay away, and he knew she was just angry because of what she'd found out.

He was on the phone to the police for a while, and Becky could hear him from the living room. He was frantic with worry as he tried calling every person he knew Chlo knew.

When he'd exhausted all possibilities of who he could ring, and told the police everything he could, he came back into the living room, where he found Becky sitting on the sofa, staring straight ahead.

" Rebecca," he said softly, worried about her.

She seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in and she looked at him with wide eyes, hugging her knees to her chest.

" Sorry, what? " she asked.

He shook his head and came to sit down next to her.

" I'm sorry," she sighed, " I'm a mess, aren't I? How long have I been sat here? "

Tom looked at the clock, " You got here about an hour ago, I guess. "

" Any news on Chlo? "

" None. "

He sounded so dejected and she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, " We'll find her. Tomorrow, we're going to go out and look for her, you and me, yeah? "

He took her hand and squeezed it.

" Yeah. D'you want something to eat? "

" I don't feel like eating," she said, shaking her head.

Tom sighed and rubbed the back of her hand, " You've got to eat something, darlin'. "

She sighed and her phone started to ring. She glared at it, where it lay on the coffee table and shook her head, " Is it ... is it Jack? " she asked, feeling like she wasn't ready to talk to him.

Tom leaned forwards and picked up the phone and he shook his head.

" It's Maxine," he told her.

Becky nodded and took the phone from him. She was dreading what the split would do to Maxine, who they'd done so much more, and given her stability - now there wouldn't be any stability. Poor Maxine would have to choose between the pair of them and be stuck in the middle of them.

Maxine was such a daddy's girl, and took to Jack very quickly after being fostered by them, despite not being his actual daughter. But she loved Becky too and the pair got on very well.

Becky took a deep breath before answering the phone.

" Hello? "

" Becky! " Maxine cried out, " tell me it's not true! "

Becky sighed and tried to find some words, but she couldn't find what she needed.

Maxine continued, " I've just got in from Janeece's, and Jack says you and him have split up! He said ... he said ... him and Steph, and ... "

" I know, sweetie," Becky said, wishing they didn't have Maxine stuck in the middle, " and I'm sorry but it's all true. I wish it wasn't but ... it is. "

" No," Maxine breathed, " you're Becky and Jack - this is you guys we're talking about - nothing can break you two up. "

" Well, I'm afraid it has," Becky sighed, " I'm at Tom's now, and I'll be staying here until ... well, I don't know yet. "

Maxine replied, " I'll come over," she said, " right away - I ... you sound like you need someone. And ... well, after what Jack's done to you ... I should be with you. "

Becky sighed again, " Are you sure this is what you want? "

Maxine replied, " I'm not going to stay here with a man who's cheated on you with Steph Haydock of all people, when you need someone. I'll come and see you. "

Becky nodded, knowing that Maxine had to make her own choices about where she wanted to be.

" Hold on sweetie," Becky said, before lowering the phone from her ear and looking up at Tom, " is it alright if Maxine comes over for a bit? "

" Course it is," Tom said with a smile, " I'll go pick her up if she wants. "

" Oh, would you? " Becky asked gratefully, " it's quite a way to walk, and I'm hoping she'll bring some of my things over for me. "

Tom nodded again.

Becky put the phone back to her ear and said, " Maxy? Tom says he'll come by and pick you up. He'll be there in about 15 minutes, is that ok? "

" Yeah, see you soon," Maxine said.

" Listen," Becky said, " could you bring me some of my things, please? I ... I'd get them myself, but I can't ... I just can't come by the house if he's there. Could you bring a couple of outfits, um ... and there's a load of marking and a few essays and textbooks in the corner of the living room which I'll need for work next week. "

Maxine agreed and they said goodbye before hanging up.

" God, I feel so terrible - Maxine being caught in the middle like this," Becky sighed.

Tom put his hand on her shoulder, " You can't stay with someone you don't trust, and you don't believe in, for her sake. She'll understand - would she want you to be unhappy? "

" No. "

" No," he agreed, before standing up, " be back soon. "

" Thank you," Becky mumbled.

When Tom had left the house, Becky sighed. She went into the kitchen to get a drink, and as she did so, heard movement from upstairs in the house.

She started to think about Mika and Chlo. Mika had been betrayed, just like she had, but she was young and had to deal with the fact that her sister was the other person, and her sister had now run away.

Becky wondered if she could help somehow, since she knew Mika wasn't opening up to Tom.

Becky started to walk upstairs, and as she did so, met Mika on the landing, as Mika was coming out of the bathroom and starting towards her bedroom.

" Mika," she said softly.

" Becky," Mika said, trying to offer a smile, though she didn't manage it.

" Maybe we should have a little talk," Becky suggested.

Mika sighed, " I'm sorry about you and Jack. "

Becky almost winced at the sound of his name and she shook her head, " Don't be - better off out of it. Listen, about Chlo - we'll find her. She'll come back - we'll find her. "

Mika shrugged, " She can stay away for all I care. "

" You don't mean that," Becky said simply.

" Don't I? " Mika sighed, shaking her head, " I think I do ... I don't want her to come back - not after what happened. "

" Mika, sweetie, I know you're hurting but she's your sister, and once you calm down, you'll realise exactly how much you love her, and you miss her," Becky said, " but don't worry, we'll find her. "

" You don't understand," Mika said, " I don't want her back. "

" But she's - "

Mika cut her off, " She's my sister, I know, but after what she did to me? I don't want to see her again. "

" Mika," Becky said softly, " just think about it a little, will you? You're hurting now, but you'll regret it later on. You're going to want her to come back very soon, you know. "

Mika looked completely fed up and she said, " Would _you _be upset if Steph Haydock went missing? "

" It's hardly the same, is it? " Becky replied, though the words stung.

Mika shook her head, " I'm just ... I'm sorry, but I don't want her to come back. "

Becky knew there was nothing more she could say and she went back downstairs. She made herself a mug of tea and curled up on the sofa, wishing that she was curled up at home under Jack's arm.

She felt numb and completely broken, and she jumped about a mile when the door opened.

" Becky? "

" In here," Becky replied in a weak voice, smiling slightly at the familiar sound of her foster-daughter's voice.

Maxine appeared in the doorway and she looked really upset. Becky felt terrible and she shook her head, " Maxine, I'm sorry. "

" Don't be sorry! " Maxine said, crossing the room.

Becky slowly stood up and she wrapped her arms around Maxine, drawing her in close. Over Maxine's shoulder she saw Tom coming in through the door, looking absolutely fuming, and carrying a couple of bags in each hand.

She caught his eye and nodded at him gratefully, and he nodded in return.

She closed her eyes as she hugged Maxine tightly, and when they broke apart, they both sank down onto the sofa.

" This can't be happening," Maxine said, " there's ... there's got to be a way around it - he can't have really ... can he? "

Becky sighed, blinking quickly to get rid of the tears that were already welling up in her eyes, " Have you spoken to him about it? What has he told you? "

Maxine swallowed hard, looking completely confused about the whole thing.

" I walked home with Janeece, and we were chatting outside Janeece's for a bit, and when I got in, I found him at the kitchen table. He had his head down, like he'd been crying and I asked him what was wrong, and he said you'd split up. I assumed I'd heard wrong, or misunderstood, but when I asked him what he meant, he said he was an idiot and he'd ever forgive himself, but he'd cheated on you with Steph. "

Becky swallowed hard, " Well, needless to say we ... we've split up. I'm sorry sweetie, its really hard on you I know, but I ... I've got to split up with him. We can't be together anymore. "

Maxine looked very disappointed, but nodded.

" So you're ... you're not even coming back to the house? "

" I'm sorry sweetie," she replied, " I just can't handle it. I don't want to see him again unless I have to, so I wont be seeing him other than at work. It's too painful and I ... there's a lot of feelings going on. I just can't see him. "

" So you're ... you're going to stay here? " Maxine asked.

" Yeah," Becky replied, " Tom's dead supportive so he's letting me stay here for as long as I need. I guess you'll have to stay with Jack, but once I got myself sorted and ... " she cleared her throat and shook her head, " get a new place then ... then you'll have the choice I suppose. "

Maxine nodded and they sat in silence for a moment.

" It's so hard to believe," Maxine said.

" I know, it is for me too," Becky replied, " but I don't see a way through it. I'm sorry, sweetie. "

Maxine nodded in disappointment but she understood. " It's just ... I never thought you two would end up like this. He's devasated, you know. "

" So he should be," Becky said.

" He looked completely broken - he's really sorry," said Maxine, " he was devastated. "

Becky shook her head, " It's really not the same anymore. He's broken all the trust I had for him, and I can't be with someone like that. But anyway ... don't worry about me. Tom's going to look after me. "

Maxine seemed to smirk a little, and Becky raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

" What's going on? " she asked.

Maxine shook her head, " Nothing, nothing. "

" Maxy? "

Maxine shrugged, " Just thinking of a little moment Tom and Jack shared back at the house. Well, I never realised how protective Tom was, anyway. "

Becky looked confused, " Why, what happened? "

Maxine shook her head, " I'll let him tell you, but let's just say I've never seen that side of him. "

Becky could imagine what had happened, and she shook her head - Tom had always been hot headed when it came to Becky and looking after her. He wouldn't have anybody hurting her, and although he didn't look like someone who'd get angry, Becky was his exception.

" He's a good brother," she sighed, " anyway ... enough about me and ... and Jack. So, you've heard about Chlo - have you got any idea where she might be? Any at all? "

Maxine sighed and shook her head, " Tom's already asked me, and I really don't know. "

" Ok," Becky said, " she's one of your best friends - no idea where she coulld be - she didn't mention anything to anyone, because if she did, there's no use not telling us. We really need to find her- she could be in danger. "

" I honestly don't know," Maxine said, " the last time I saw her was this morning outside, when Donte was smashing that car up. She was avoiding us all for the rest of the morning, and when she didn't turn up to lessons we thought she was just skiving because she didn't want to see anyone. No-one thought that she might have run away. "

Becky nodded, " Well, Tom's rung the police and we're going to go out tomorrow and look everywhere we can think of. God, I can't believe this. What a day. "

Maxine nodded, and there was a clearing of a throat from the doorway, " Alright, you two? "

Tom was there with his kind sympathetic smile and he said, " Alright if I come in, or - ? "

" Yeah, yeah, come in," nodded Becky, " we were just talking about Chlo. Maxy says she hasn't a clue either. "

Tom sighed heavily as he came to sit on the sofa and reached out for the tv remote.

" Don't worry," Becky said, " I mean, I know ... I know you've got to worry because you're a dad, but ... we'll find her, Tommy. Honestly, we will. She's just a scared teenage girl, and once she realises she's no money and nowhere to go, she'll come back back to her family. "

" I guess," Tom nodded.

" She will," Becky insisted, " and tomorrow we'll meet with the police and get onto looking everywhere for her. "

Tom nodded again before turning the tv on.

" What do you fancy watching, Maxine? " he asked her with a kind smile.

Maxine shrugged, " I'm not sure. Whatever. "

Becky smirked a little as she looked at Tom and she said, " Tell you what Maxine, while you choose something to watch, I'm going to make a drink and Tom's going to help. Come on Tom. "

She left the room and Tom followed after a moment, though he was suprised.

When they were in the kitchen, Becky shut the door behind them and wandered over to the kettle, switching it on.

" So," she said, turning around to face her big brother, " what happened at the house? "

Tom shrugged, turning away from her and taking a couple of mugs out of the cupboard. She looked a bit amused but confused as she took the cups from him and put them down in front of the kettle.

" Tom," she said, " I know something happened because Maxine told me she never realised how protective you were. She said you shared a little moment, and I _know _you_. _What did you do? "

Tom smirked but shook his head, " I didn't do anything, darlin'. "

" Don't believe you," she said, wearing the smirk that was identical to his.

Tom shrugged, " Fine. You sure you want to know? "

" Tell me what you did," she said as she turned her back on him and started pouring them a cup of tea each.

" I ... um ... I might have hit him. "

" Tom! " she said, outraged, her back to him as she stirred the tea, " violence is never the answer. " She paused to think about it for a moment before smirking, " then again, after what he did ... I can't say I don't appreciate it. "

" Hey," Tom said firmly, " No-one's going to hurt my little sister and get away with it. "

She turned around, " You're the best brother ever, you know that, right? "

He grinned, " Come here. "

She sighed and crossed the kitchen slowly, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a big hug. She smiled and settled against him, feeling safe in his hug.

" So you hit him, huh? "

Tom smirked, " I'm sorry darlin' but I wasn't having anybody hurting my sister. He's a fool for what he's done to you and you're far too good for him. I thought someone should make him aware of how much he's hurt you. I just wanted to hurt him back. "

She smiled a little as they broke apart, " So, did you get him good? "

He laughed, " There might be a black eye come Monday. "

She couldn't resist a chuckle as she turned back to making their drinks. As he watched her, Tom asked, " You're not mad, then? I ... I know I probably shouldn't have hit him, but I'm so mad with him. You don't understand what it's like having a little sister - someone to look after. "

" I'm not mad," she said, " I just wish you knew how to turn back time and stop him from doing it in the first place. "

" I'm sorry, Becks, but - "

" I know, I know," she nodded.

She turned around and handed him a mug of tea and he kissed her forehead in a very brotherly way. They went back into the living room and sat down in front of the telly.

Becky smiled at Maxine's choice of TV - it was an old episode of Friends, and it was one Becky had seen many times before, but she didn't mind.

As she sat there, she felt like she was totally numb, and she couldn't connect to the tv at all. She kept thinking about Jack and replaying memories of their argument in her head. It made her feel worse and worse every time and she was completely devastated.

She snapped out of her trance when she heard Tom's voice, " Becky! "

She looked up at him, " W-what? "

He shook his head, and from the look on his face, she knew he'd said it several times before getting her attention, " Maxine said she's going to have to get going. "

Becky looked panicked at the thought of change and she looked at Maxine, " You've got to go? "

Maxine nodded, " It's getting late, and I've got some homework to do, and I've got to get some tea. "

Becky sighed, " Of course you have, sure. I should be proud of you, i guess, wanting to go home and do all of your homework. "

" Unless ... unless I could stay here? " Maxine asked, " only, I ... I can't believe what Jack's done. I don't want to be around someone like that. "

Becky shook her head, " You're a daddy's girl, Maxy, and we know it. You don't have to pick between us you know. "

" I do! " Maxine said, " and I pick you. "

Becky sighed, knowing what she had to say, " You can't stay here - Tom's only got a sofa spare for me, as it is. You've got a bedroom. "

" But you're not there," sighed Maxine.

" It won't be forever," Becky said, " when I've set myself up, you'll have a choice. "

Maxine couldn't help but think that what she really wanted was for them to still be together.

They shared a big warm hug and Becky promised she'd call Maxine the next day so that they could make arrangements to meet over the weekend. Tom and Maxine left together, and when they'd gone, Becky curled up on the sofa.

She was in the exact same position when Tom came back, and he sighed, not knowing how to treat her, and what to say to cheer her up. He soon came to the conclusion that nothing he said would cheer her up and she went to bed early.

He told her to have Chlo's room, and she'd protested, but eventually gave in since Chlo wasn't there and the alternative of the sofa made no sense when there was a spare bed, at least for tonight.

She eventually gave in and he gave her a big hug before she went to bed.

Tom went back downstairs, worried about his broken family. He didn't think he'd ever seen Becky like this - she was almost like a zombie, and when she smiled at him, it was forced and dead behind the eyes.

When he went up to talk to Mika an hour or so later, he pushed open the door to Chlo's room and saw Becky fast asleep.

He sighed and left the room.

The next morning when Becky woke up, it felt terrible not to wake up in Jack's warm arms, which were always so strong around her middle. It felt wrong not to be able to lean over and kiss Jack's lovely lips, but now when she thought of him, she wanted to slap him silly, and she wanted to claw Steph's eyes out, childish though she knew it was, but she didn't care.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to stop her mind from wandering to Jack. She didn't want to get out of bed, and she spent a long time in bed, thinking about Jack and moping.

She had no idea how long she'd been sat up in the bed, wishing things were different, before the door opened a crack. It opened a little more, and soon Tom was walking into the room.

" Morning," he said, before shaking his head, " or afternoon, I should porbably say. "

" Time is it? " she asked, her voice weak.

" 12," he replied, " so you're not staying in bed any longer. Come on, get up. "

" You're not my dad," she said sulkily, glaring at him.

" Come on darlin'," he said, shaking his head, " you're under my roof, so it's my rules. I'm looking after you, and _I _say you're getting up. "

" You don't understand," she sighed, " it feels like the world has ended. I've never been in so much pain. "

" You're going to get up and carry on," Tom said, reaching out and taking hold of her hand, " I'm telling you, it never does any good to stay in by and mope. I've been there - when Lorna had the abortion, when Lorna and I split up, when she died, when izzie lost the baby, when she died. "

" Oh God," Becky said, shaking her head, " I'm such an idiot. After everything you've been through and here I am like it's the end of the world. I'm - "

" Don't apologise," he said, " you're my baby sister, so I don't mind looking after you, I just wish you were ok, and I didn't have reason to look after you. Now come on, get up. The police came around this morning, and I told them everything about Chlo, so they'll start looking but - "

" Oh! Sure! " Becky said, throwing back the duvet, " I'll get changed and ready and we'll go and look for her. We should look everywhere, all around her friends places, Donte. We'll find her. "

Tom nodded.

They spent the afternoon looking anywhere they thought she might be, and by evening, there was only one place they hadn't been.

Together, they stood in front of the door of the flat that Donte had bought himself and Chlo.

Becky knocked on the door and a few moments later, Donte answered.

" Oh, Becky, Mr Clarkson ... er ... come in," he said, stepping back.

Becky nodded and went into the flat, followed by her brother.

" I ... um ... I heard about you and Mr Rimmer," Donte said, " sorry, I know you guys were good together. "

Becky flinched at the thought of the split, and she shook her head, " News travels fast, doesn't it? " She was already dreading the thought of having to go to work and face everyone.

" Never mind that now," Tom said, " we came about Chlo. "

" Then you're in the wrong place," Donte said, " I don't know anything about where she is. "

" Donte, come on," Becky sighed, " she's been missing over 24 hours - we need to find her. She's alone, she's probably scared, she's no money or nowhere to go. Any clues would be great. I know she's hurt you, but you've got to help us. "

" I don't know anything," Donte said, " and after what she did, I don't want to help. "

It was useless, and they couldn't get anything out of him. Behind all his harsh words about Chlo and the resentment he felt towards her, she thought he genuinely didn't know anything.

The rest of the weekend was miserable.

She and Tom spent any spare time trying to think about or look for Chlo, but with no such luck. Jack tried to ring her several times over the weekend and she rejected every call. She saw Maxine on Sunday, and Maxine seemed very miserable, which made Becky feel terrible. Maxine semeed to be having a hard time wanting to be on Becky's side because of what Jack had done, but living with Jack and seeing how upset he was and how it was affecting him.

On Monday morning, Becky got ready for school in one of the outfits that Maxine had brought over for her.

She got ready and stood in the hallway, dreading having to go to work. Monday mornings was the time of management meetings and she knew it was going to be a nightmare.

She looked in the mirror - she knew she looked terrible. She looked pale and drawn, and there were dark circles under her eyes because she'd barely slept over the weekend.

She was still so furious about what Jack had done and she wanted to completely murder him after what he'd done. It was still so unbelieveable what he'd done, and she couldn't get her mind around how he could do that to her, and she certainly couldn't think about forgiving him.

She wasn't sure she'd be able to stay strong enough not to collapse if she saw him. She'd never felt pain like this before.

She'd only been in a few other relationships before Jack, and the most serious was something that happened while she was at university. It had started out well enough and lasted over a year but it fell apart, and they managed to remain on good terms. Then again, he hadn't cheated on her like Jack had.

Tom and Mika came into the hallway, and the three of them set off in Tom's car, leaving Becky's behind.

When they got to school Mika went off, and Becky walked in with Tom.

" Coming up to the staffroom? " he asked her.

She shook her head, " Management meeting. "

He winced, " Stay strong, darlin'. I'll see you at break, and you know where I am if you need me. "

" Thank you," she nodded, " for everything. "

She nodded and they went their seperate ways. She dropped a few things off in her office before taking a deep breath. She tugged on her jacket and ran a hand through her hair, trying to make herself look as smart as possible, determined to look like he hadn't broken her heart.

She started walking down the corridors, towards Jack's office, and wondered how many people knew about their split.

She knew most of the kids would know because Maxine's best friend was Janeece, and Janeece loved to gossip. She knew it would be all the way around the school before long but she wondered about the staff.

Tom knew, Matt knew, Matt would probably have told Steph about the split, Eddie had seen them arguing, although he didn't know they'd split up. She was sure it would be all over the school before long.

She took a deep breath as she knocked on the door of Jack's office - quite possibly one of the first times she'd bothered to knock - and pushed the door open slowly.

She found Jack sitting on the chair in front of the coffee table, and without meeting his eye, she came to sit on the sofa that was also around the coffee table, where they usually took their meetings.

When she sat down, she looked at his face properly, as painful as it was, but luckily he wasn't looking at her. She almost winced when she saw the black eye before reminding herself that he fully deserved it, and reminding herself to congratulate her brother on his work.

" Rebecca," he said softly, reaching out to her with one hand.

She shook her head and swatted his hand away, still without looking at him, " Don't even bother."

" Please," Jack said, " let's try and make it up. "

" I can't believe you'd even suggest such a thing," she said scornfully, trying to distract herself by looking at the summary of the recent assessment grades. She was certain that as long as she didn't look at him, she'd be ok.

" Rebecca," he said, his voice turning stern.

" No," she said, looking up, finally meeting his eyes, " you're not listening to me. I'm not one of the school kids - you can't full-name me and make me listen to you. _You _listen to _me - _I don't want to know. "

The door opened and Eddie walked in.

It seemed he could sense the atmosphere right away and he looked between the pair of them. He seemed to have forgotten the argument he'd walked into the middle of a few days ago, or at least thought that it wasn't anything serious, because he shook his head as he took a seat next to Becky, on the sofa.

" Not having an argument, are you? " he asked with a grin, " wouldn't want to interrupt a lover's tiff. "

Neither she nor Jack replied and from the looks on their faces, Eddie immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing. He could never have imagined them splitting up and he couldn't quite believe it. He frowned, wanting to know more, but feeling like he shouldn't ask.

" You're not interrupting anything," said Becky, shooting Jack a look that told him not to argue.

" Rebecca, can't we just - "

" No," biting her lip as she avoided looking at him, " this is a management meeting Jack. Let's get on with it. "

Eddie looked between them cautiously and nodded, " Come on Jack, let's have a look at those target grades. "

The meeting felt awkward, since Jack and Becky seemed unable to look at each other, much less have a direct conversation. They were avoiding direct contact as much as possible and Eddie had to bridge the gap by doing most of the taking.

When Jack announced that the meeting was over, Becky couldn't get out of there fast enough.

As she walked down the corridors, she heard footsteps behind her and her name being called. She turned around to see Eddie, looking rather concerned.

" What's going on with you two? " he asked.

Becky shook her head, " I thought you'd have been in there asking Jack all the details? "

Eddie pulled a face, " Jack couldn't get me out of the office quick enough, and you're both in a right state. You look like you haven't slept in days. "

She shook her head, " We split up on friday, after you saw us having that big argument. Guess it's a little ... awkward. "

" A little? "

" I know, I know," she said, " I intend to remain on professional terms with Jack, though, since we've got to work together, don't worry about that. I just need to ... to ... come to terms with it. "

Eddie nodded, " If you need to talk, I guess I'm here. "

Becky smiled a little, though she knew she was unlikely to talk to him if she needed anything, " Thanks. "

Her first lesson wasn't too bad since it was a year seven class, who didn't know much about the rest of the school and had no links to the older students. She felt miserable when she left the classroom however, and as soon as she was in the corridors, she could hear the whispers following her around.

She didn't feel like being around people really but she was hating locking herself away.

She kept her head down as she walked into the staffroom, and she sighed, not wanting to face people. She walked over to the kettle and as she flicked it on, she looked around the staffroom.

Hardly anyone seemed to know about the split because they weren't really looking at her, but she was very grateful when Tom left the company of Jasmine and Davina to come over to her.

" Hey, darlin', how did it go? " he asked, " here, I'll do that," he added, moving her sideways with his hand so he could get to make the drinks.

" The class wasn't as bad as I thought, but kids are talking about me everywhere I go, and I had a management meeting with Jack this morning. _Nice _black eye, by the way - wouldn't have had that down as your sort of thing. God it was awkward as hell though, I couldn't even look at him, and he tried to talk, but I didn't want to talk, and oh God. "

Tom handed her a mug of tea and as he turned around to face her and he sighed, " Come here. "

She took a step forwards and he planted a kiss on her forehead, " Come on, darlin', don't let it bother you. Don't worry about him, yeah? "

" Yeah," she mumbled, " God it just hurts so much. "

He nodded, " I know. "

They turned around, and the pair of them started to walk across the room, towards Jasmine and Davina, who from their normal smiles on their faces didn't know anything about her split with Jack - clearly they hadn't heard it from any of the pupils yet.

As they were in the middle of the staffroom, the door opened.

Steph walked into the room, and Becky's eyes widened when she saw her. Steph looked suprised to see Becky and she stopped still, while Becky also stopped still, glaring at her, although she wanted to kill her.

" Rebecca," Steph said, making Becky furious that Steph would even try to talk to her, " I'm - "

Becky shook her head, " I don't want to talk to you," she said, " I can't believe that you'd even try and talk to me - do you think you've got anything to say, that I want to hear? "

" Rebecca," said Steph, shaking her head, " I'm - "

" No," Becky said, " I know what you did, and you _know _I know. Let's leave it at that. "

Becky didn't want to talk and hoped Steph would leave it at that. She sat down opposite Jasmine, and Tom sat beside her, but Steph sighed and moved forwards.

" Becky, Jack's really upset," Steph said, " it was only one night and - "

Becky didn't want to air everything in public but it seemed Steph was leaving her no choice, "

Steph, you slept with my boyfriend. I don't think you've got any right to talk to me. "

Becky hadn't been speaking loud but everyone around had been listening, and there was a collective gasp from those who didn't know about it.

Steph cleared her throat and looked around, before leaving the room.

" Becky," Jasmine said softly, as the whole room went back to the seperate conversations and tried to pretend like they weren't staring at her, " you didn't tell us you'd split up with Jack. "

Becky shrugged, " I ... it ... it happened on friday. I was going to tell you soon, but it's kind of hard. "

" Oh, I'm so sorry," Jasmine said, " you two were great together. "

Becky winced, " I guess, but it's over. " She tried not to show too much emotion and she nodded as she looked between Jasmine and Davina, " you should probably know, anyway, because I guess it's all the kids'll be talking about. "

Tom reached out and touched her arm softly, " It's going to be alright, Becks, I promise. "

She sighed and the conversation soon turned to Chlo.

Her next two classes were terrible - they were year eleven classes and both loud and gobby classes who wouldn't settle down for her. She tried to make them work without much success and by the time lunch time came around, she was glad of the break.

She once again faced the whispers from the corridors and made her way to the staffroom, where she sat with Tom, Jasmine and Davina. She used the staffroom's microwave to warm up her lunch, and she turned around to find Matt waiting to use the microwave.

She smiled at him and he gave her a sympathetic smile.

" How are you? " he asked.

She smiled a little, " Coping. "

He looked very sorry but Becky's attempt at a smile made it clear that she didn't really want to talk. She rather liked Matt because he was enthusiastic and wanted to make kids love his subject, though she didn't ever have time to talk to him really - he was often in Steph's company and she had no desire to be anywhere near Steph.

" Anyway," she said, shaking her head, " how's the musical coming along? "

He sighed, " Don't even ask. I've got lots of kids who can't sing in tune or in time, and my two leads can't work together. "

Becky shrugged, " It'll work out, you just need to keep at it. It's going to be great, I'm sure. "

" Well, I wish i could have as much confidence in it," Matt sighed.

She smiled, patting his arm as she walked past him, " It'll be alright, it's ok. "

Her next lesson after lunch was a free period and she went to her office, where she had some pastoral care work to do - namely updating the behavioural plans for some of the more difficult pupils.

She loved her office.

When it had been Kim's office, the walls had been a boring beige with dirty old blinds and a scruffy beiege carpet. During the summer between Kim leaving for Rwanda, and Becky coming into the pastoral care job, Jack had painted the mural on the walls in the corridor, and had also done up her office for her.

It was perfect, with bright sky blue walls, matching curtains and a new carpet with a fluffy rug in the middle. There was a sofa pushed up against one wall with pretty cushions all along it, which she liked to use when she had pupils in the office.

She sat behind her desk - her office was one of her favourite places, because it was all decorated nicely, and she could go there and be all by herself with no interruptions.

She sat with her favourite green pen in her hand and as she added to some of the behaviour plans, there was a knock at the door.

She looked up and she sighed when she saw Jack on the other side of the door.

He looked very serious and he came in without waiting for an invitation to. He closed the door behind him, and turned to face her.

" Becky," he said, " can we talk? "

She shrugged, " As long as it's about work. "

" Well, it's sort of about us," he said, clearing his throat.

She sighed, not wanting to hear it, but deciding that she'd hear him out because she didn't have the strength to argue. " Go on," she said, looking him in the eye, forcing herself to do so, and telling herself to remain calm and polite, " though I'm a bit busy, so if you could make it quick, please? "

He cleared his throat nervously, " How're you doing? "

" I'm doing just fine," she replied.

" Really? " he asked, not seeming to believe her, " because you look tired, and I know all this is making me feel terrible, so it must be making you feel like that too. "

" Jack, it's all over," she said, " the only thing I feel terrible about now, is Maxine, because she's got to pick between the pair of us, and God knows how she feels. "

" Becky, can't we have a normal conversation? " Jack sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out, " I love you and I want to make it right. "

He held out something small and shiny and she stood up and walked around to his side of the desk - when she got there, she saw it was the engagement ring, and she felt like crying.

" What did you come in here for? " she asked him, " what do you want? "

" Please," he said, " Becky, I love you, and we're great together. Please, please forgive me. Can't we give it another go? "

" I can't," she said, taking a step bakwards, " and I don't want the ring back - I can't have you back. "

" But - "

" No," she said, " because you broke us! " She took a deep breath and said, " I just don't understand why you'd sleep with Steph when you had me! And you know what the worse part is? I would have trusted you with anything, and you knew that. Now will you please just leave? "

Jack looked very much like he wanted to say something, but he nodded.

" Well, I'll leave you to it then," he said.

She watched him leave the office, and sighed.

Jack, as he walked down the corridors, felt quite convinced that if he waited until she cooled down, she'd come around. He was sure he'd be able to win her back in the end.

The next couple of days were very much the same.

Becky barely slept and found it hard to smile and enjoy herself.

Jack tried to talk to her a few more times but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him in return because it hurt too much and she didn't think she could trust him.

The only time they spoke was during management meetings or about matters regarding work.

Becky tried to pull herelf back together but wasn't managing it, and as the days passed, she found herself thinking more and more about Jack, as much as she tried to stop herself from thinking about him.

She and Tom were still out searching for Chlo at every spare moment after work, and Tom had met with the police, who had no leads, a few more times.

It seemed that nothing was going right, and the only thing that made Becky get through it was the fact that her brother was there. If it wasn't for him, and Jasmine and Davina, who were being incredibly supportive at work, she didn't think she'd be able to cope.

**Author's Note: I think Jack will be leaving the school in the next chapter, and I'm not too sure when he'll come back, since there'll be a new headteacher, so his job won't be available. I think he might come back as a plain history teacher, after realising that all the power of a headmaster was too much for him, and he wants to cut back to be a teacher so he can focus on Becky and Maxine. **

**I'm thinking that he might come back at the end of the series, when the fire is, and in the meantime I'm going to have Becky try dating someone else - I might have her making friends with Matt and falling for him, and him just trying to be friendly and helping her get through her split, and them maybe even kissing before Becky realises she only feels like that because she isn't over Jack. I thought about having her date someone, but there isn't any one of the staff that she'd be likely to date because the only male staff are Matt, Eddie, Grantly and Tom.**

**Please let me know what you think of this, because I'm not quite sure how this is going to go after Jack leaves - let me know if you've got any other ideas.**


	8. Big Change

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Eight

On Friday, Becky got out of the car in the school car park, along with Tom and Mika.

All three of them were feeling fairly terrible.

Mika was starting to feel very sorry for ever having telling Chlo to say away, and she was worried that her sister would never come back. It had happened last night - she'd been watching her favourite film with Becky, while Tom made their dinner, and she started crying, before telling Becky it was also Chlo's favourite film, and finally admitting that she wanted her sister back.

Becky knew that even Donte was starting to come around, and everyone was anxious about getting Chlo back. Maxine and Janeece had called around the night before, telling Mika all about plans that Brett had to set up a Chlo website, and telling her how Brett was trying to convince Donte to help.

Mika had initially been unimpressed that Brett was involved, but it seemed she'd do anything to get Chlo back home.

Tom was so stressed out from not having being able to find his step-daughter and having to keep his family pulled together.

And Becky hadn't slept properly in days - she'd had a particularly difficult time a couple of days ago on the 2nd anniversary of she and Jack getting together, when she thought of how happy she was back then, and how they were now.

When they got to school, Becky saw Eddie and Jack walking across the car park.

They had another management meeting that morning - Mondays and Fridays were their management meetings. She knew jack had a meeting that morning and wanted to know more about it. She felt like as senior management, she should go over there and join in with their conversation.

" I'm going to go over to those two," she told Tom," I'll catch you in a bit though, yeah? "

He nodded, and as Becky looked across at Jack and Eddie, Eddie caught her eye. She had little to do with Eddie outside of management issues, but he seemed to be fond of her during their management meetings, and seemed to be keeping an eye on her since the split - he was almost 15 years older than her and seemed to feel like he should protect her.

Becky walked over to them, and she smiled, " Morning you two," she said, with the smile that really wasn't meeting her eyes.

" Morning," Jack said with a nod, stepping to the side a bit to create a gap betwee he and Eddie. She moved to stand between the pair of them as they walked slowly across the playground.

" So," she said, " I just saw you two talking and thought you might have started the meeting without me. "

" Of course not," Eddie said, " we were just talking about Ria Cheetham - she's coming in today. "

Becky nodded at the mention of the school's advisor, " What time's she coming in? "

" Break," Jack replied in a dull voice.

Becky noted the unhappiness in his voice and although she told herself she didn't care about him anymore, they still had to work together, and she wanted to be able to do her job.

She raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him, " Problem? "

" Nope," Jack replied, though it sounded like a lie, " only - well, you've seen her. Right flaming "public servant. "

Eddie shook his head, " She's an ex-headmaster, Jack. It's always good to get another point of view on how to run things. "

Becky was about to say something as they walked across the playground, but she noticed something which made her stop.

She saw a big group of kids gathered around together and she frowned, " What's going on over there? "

Jack and Eddie noticed too and charged over there. As Jack shouted at the kids to move, they all started to run off in different directions, and when they'd all scattered, the three teachers were left looking at the wall.

It had been graffitied, and the graffiti was several large pictures of a skull taking drugs, with a signature underneath - a rather stupid move, Becky thought.

" Bolton Smilie," Jack said, sounding absolutely murderous as his face clouded over.

" Why would he even _do _this? " Becky asked, shaking her head.

" I don't know, but I'll have him out for this," jack said, glaring at the wall, " I won't have drugs promoted at my school, and I won't have vandalism. He's out, for this. I'm going to talk to Candace. "

Bolton's mother Candace worked in the school kitchens.

Without another word to either of them, Jack stormed off, leaving Eddie and Becky behind.

" Well," Eddie said, " I suppose we'll go meet him in the office. "

Becky nodded, and she and Eddie walked through the corridors, after Becky called at her office first to drop off some of her folders and files. They were heading towards Jack's office when they heard a voice behind them.

Becky turned to be met with Candace and Bolton. Bolton wasn't well behaved and he'd had many warnings, so Becky could understand Jack's position on it, as much as she didn't want for the school to fail a pupil.

" They've kicked our Bolton out, Miss Clarkson! " Candace said, as her son stood behind her.

Becky sighed and nodded her head in acknowledgement, " I know, but it's really Mr Rimmer's call. " She found it weird to call him Mr Rimmer - she'd always called him "Mr Rimmer" when she was teasing him, and she'd always been able to imagine calling herself "Mrs Rimmer" some day, but not anymore.

Eddie added, " We're sorry, but he's had several chances. "

Candace shook her head, " There's loads of kids had chances, but it's always our Bolton who seems to get it in the neck. That Rimmer's always had it in for us. I mean, first he's telling me I can't have the bursary, then he's slinging my kid out! "

Becky was completely confused by what Candace had just said and she turned to look at Eddie, who was wearing the same expression.

" Sorry, what bursary? " Eddie asked her.

" The one for single mums," Candace said as though it were obvious, " he said I'd missed the deadline. "

Bolton nodded, " Aleesha Dillon's been telling everyone she got 2 grand. "

" To come here? " asked Becky incredulously.

" Yeah. "

Candace shook her head, " The whole thing stinks, I'm telling you. " She turned her back on them and started to walk off, before shouting over her shoulder, " I'm going to the board of education about this. "

It took Becky a moment to consider it, and then it hit her.

" Oh no," she said, looking at Eddie, " he ... he hasn't done what I think he's done ... has he? "

Eddie was starting to look very angry, " If you mean, has he paid off the Gifted and Talented kids to get them into the school, and in doing so grossly mis-used the funding money we're allocated, then yes, I think he has. "

Becky sighed - she knew that whatever Jack had done he'd have done it for the kids, but she also knew he didn't always think things through, and she knew that mis-using school money could be a sacking offence.

Eddie started to walk again, heading in the direction of Jack's office, and Becky followed.

Eddie was mumbling under his breath, and Becky didn't quite know what to make of the situation.

She'd come to the conclusion that although she didn't want anything more to do with Jack in a personal way, she knew he was a good headmaster and he cared for the kids. She knew he was good for the school.

She worried that she was starting to fall for him again, and told herself that there was no way she could allow that to happen.

She and Eddie walked through the outer office, passing Bridget, and then Eddie threw open the door of Jack's office without knocking.

" You paid the G and T kids to come here? " Eddie demanded, " all of our new intake? "

He sounded furious, and Jack was sitting behind his desk. He didn't make a response, and the look on his face gave away the answer. He looked panicked, and he hung his head.

" How did you think you'd get away with it? " Eddie demanded.

" Eddie, listen," said Jack, quickly coming around to the other side of the desk, " I've had a lot on, and - "

Eddie cut him off straight away, " I can't believe you! You paid middle class parents 2 grand to send their kids here? "

Becky watched Jack try and work his way out of it, and Jack shook his head, " It's hardly jackpot money, is it? "

" It is to the likes of Candace Smilie! " Eddie pointed out.

" Look, this is for single parents whose kids can make a real academic difference to this school! "

Eddie shook his head and scoffed, " You've lost the plot, mate. "

" Yeah, well maybe I have after working in this place for 15 years! " Jack replied, sighing heavily and pausing for a moment to regain his composure.

" Then maybe that's the problem," Eddie said, shaking his head.

" No! " Jack said quickly, looking between Eddie and Becky, knowing he could do with his staff on his side, " look, we paid ten kids and we're going to really get good use out of it. They'll help us build up, and next year there'll be ten more that we won't have to pay. "

Becky found it hard to watch the pair of them arguing and she didn't know where she stood on the matter.

Eddie sighed, annoyed, " I went on the flaming radio and said what a great community school we are! "

Becky really felt the need to step in and say something now, because she didn't want another argument - she knew Jack had done something dodgy with the money, but she knew they needed to all pull together to put right whatever Jack had done wrong. It wouldn't do them any good to argue.

Jack looked so lost and Becky felt like she should say something.

" Hang on," she said, looking at Eddie, " when he went on that radio show, he was piecing himself back together after Izzie's death, and he meant everything he said. He's ... he might not always follow the rule book, but he cares about this school. "

Jack looked at her, seemingly stunned that she'd jumped in and spoke on his side, and when she caught his eye, he quickly looked away again.

Eddie shook his head, and with a final look for Jack, he left the office. Jack followed, and Becky wanted to know what was going on, so she followed too.

They were soon in the corridor, and there were many of the pupils around.

" Eddie, listen, we can extend the scheme for next year," said Jack, desperately trying to mke Eddie listen.

" Bit late for Candace and Bolton," Eddie said, without turning to face Jack.

" Yeah, well I might have been a bit hasty on that one," Jack admitted.

Eddie suddenly turned around to face Jack, and looked angry, " You get paid _not _to be hasty! "

Several people in the corridor were looking at them now, and Becky wished this wasn't happening - people had only just stopped talking about she and Jack splitting up - the last thing she wanted was for them to start again.

Jack sighed and looked from Eddie to Becky, " Eddie, Rebecca, there's something you should know. I think Ria Cheetham's found out. I think that's why she's organised this meeting at break time ."

Becky felt totally stunned - Jack could be in trouble and that wasn't good for the school.

" Well," Eddie said, " if she's rumbled you, then you're done for. "

" Don't talk like that," Becky said quickly.

" Well, what about you two? " Jack asked the pair of them, looking at them with pleading eyes, " Now that you know? I need my management on side. "

" You could be looking at the sack here, mate," said Eddie.

Jack sighed, clearly not getting Eddie on side, " And you? " he asked Becky, as Eddie walked away.

Becky sighed. She was starting to seperate Jack in her personal life from Jack at work and with regards to the school. She knew that Jack was good for the school and he cared about all of the pupils, and he might not always use the best methods, but he always used what he thought would work.

She opened her mouth, and she knew what she was going to say, even if she didn't know whether it was a good idea to say it - she was about to tell him she didn't want him to leave.

She was barely aware of all the pupils around them and she said, " I don't want - "

She didn't get to finish it because of all the people around them, Steph must have been one of them, because she was calling Jack's name from somewhere nearby.

Both Becky and Jack turned to look at Steph and Jack sighed - clearly she was the last person he wanted to see, and Becky didn't want to see Steph either. It was still a painful reminder of what had happened, and she glanced at Jack before walking off.

Immediately there were footsteps behind her, and Jack's voice.

" Becky, I need your support," he said as they walked through the corridors and started down the main staircase, since Becky's classroom was downstairs.

She stopped on the middle between one flight of stairs and the next, and he stopped just behind her, having to take a step backwards because she'd stopped and turned to face him so suddenly.

" I can't pick up your pieces anymore, Jack," she told him, biting her lip, " it's too hard. "

Jack looked very much like he wanted to argue, but when the bell went, he knew he had to leave it. He turned away without a word and Becky sighed before turning her back and starting towards her classroom.

Her first class of the day was her year 12 class, which had Maxine, Janeece and Donte in.

This was one of her favourite classes and she tried to forget all about Jack's troubles as she sat on her desk in front of the class, as she dictated some notes to them for the first half of the lesson before letting them spend the second half of the lesson having a debate.

By the end of the lesson, the interactive lesson had put her in a good mood and her class left happy too, asking if they'd be able to do more debating next lesson.

As soon as she was alone, Becky started thinking about Jack. She was quite worried at the thought of him losing his job and worried about his meeting with Ria Cheetham because he was good for the school, and if there had to be a new head, there was a risk that something could go wrong, and the new head wouldn't be right for the school.

She threw her bag over her shoulder and started towards the staffroom.

As she walked in, she passed Tom, Jasmine, Davina and Grantly sitting together, on her way over to the kettle.

" Anyone want a drink? " she asked, smiling.

" Ah, Miss Clarkson," Grantly said, looking over at her, " Steph tells me Jack and Eddie have been arguing in front of the pupils, and in your presence too. "

Becky shook her head as she waited for the kettle to boil, " I'm not saying a thing," she replied.

Grantly shook his head, " Giving the official management line? "

She laughed a little, " I don't have anything to tell. "

Davina cleared her throat, "I was talking to Steph too - she reckons Jack's been doing a bit of jiggery-pokery with the budget. "

" Doesn't suprise me," Tom said, shaking his head, as he turned the page of the newspaper, " he'd do just about anything to big himself up. I hope he _is _in trouble - it's about time he got his fingers burnt. "

" Tommy," Becky sighed, wandering over to them with a cup of coffee in her hand, " you shouldn't speculate on things you don't know about. He works 15 hours a day, 6 days a week, and he's done a lot of good things for the school. "

She sat on the arm of the chair he was occupying and leant against him slightly.

" I thought you of all people would have been after his downfall," said Tom mildly.

" Yeah, well, just because he's done wrong by me doesn't mean he's always done wrong by the school," she told Tom, sighing slightly

Tom didn't reply, but the way he let her lean against him showed her that he was trying to be supportive.

When the bell rang at the end of break, Becky walked to her classroom with Tom, since the bottom floor held the english, drama, music, history and geography departments.

When she got to her classroom, Becky found Maxine waiting outside the room, Janeece at her side.

" Hey girls," she smiled, " you alright? I only saw you before break - everything alright? "

Maxine nodded, " We just wanted to ask you something. "

Becky nodded and unlocked the classroom door, pushing the door open and nodding her head for the girls to follow her in. She turned around to face the pair of them.

" What can I do for you? "

The two girls exchanged a look, before Maxine asked, " Jack's not going to lose his job, is he? "

Becky wasn't quite sure how she was going to answer it and she knew she couldn't say anything when she didn't know what was going on, " I can't tell you anything," she replied.

Maxine sighed, " Come on, please, I want to know what's going on - surely you can tell me. I really want to know. "

Becky shook her head, " Maxy, I know I'm your foster mum, but it doesn't mean I can tell you all the details of the school. It wouldn't be professional. "

Maxine nodded and she and Janeece exchanged a look, before Maxine nodded, " Ok, I suppose I get that, but ... but you'll help him, if he's in trouble, won't you? "

Becky didn't answer.

" Oh, come on," Maxine sighed, " I know you're still in love with him. If he's in trouble, you'll help him, won't you? You won't let anything happen to him? "

" I'm telling you, there's no love there," said Becky, " but I'll do what I can for the school. " She glanced at the clock, " you should get to your next lesson, girls. You can tell my year sevens to come in. "

Maxine nodded, " I'll see you later. "

Janeece grinned, " Bye Miss! "

" Bye girls," Becky said, sitting down behind her desk.

Her year sevens were always a fairly easy class and very well behaved. She taught them an introductionary lesson to the claimants to the throne in 1066, and set them a bit of homework, before she let them go.

She then had a free period and she planned on spending it in her office, as usual, to get on with some of her pastoral care paperwork.

She left it five minutes so the corridors would have cleared, before leaving her classroom. She was walking down the corridor when the double doors at the other end of the corridor burst open, and Lewis Seddon was running down the corridor.

" Seddon! " she shouted, making him stop, " what on earth are you doing? "

Seddon, pointed back in the direction of the school canteen, " Miss Clarkson, oh we need someone in the kitchen. Candace is going off her head about her Bolton getting thrown out. She's off her head! Needs sorting out! Throwing stuff everywhere! "

Becky immediately had the feeling that this wasn't the kind of thing she could take care of, and she nodded, " Ok, get back in there then and try to calm her down. I'll go find Mr Rimmer. "

The moment Seddon had gone, she turned on her heel and knew she needed to hurry.

She ran through the corridors as fast as she could, and she had Jack's office in mind, although she thought he might still be busy with Ria, but he was needed.

As she rounded a corner on the last corridor before going up the stairs, she hit something solid, and with the speed she'd been running, was about to go staggering backwards before someone grabbed hold of her forearms very quickly and held her to steady her.

She found herself looking up at a very confused Jack, and she looked down at where his hands were wrapped around her forearms.

" Careful," he said, " thought you were going to go flying. "

" Um, yeah, thanks," she said as he let go of her arms, " listen, we're needed in the canteen - Candace is going mad apparently and - "

" Ok, let's go," jack said, taking it on board.

He started off at top speed down the corridor, towards the canteen, and Becky followed, dreading what they might come across in the canteen.

When they got there, they found Candace in the middle of the kitchen area, throwing things on the floor and shouting, while Lewis tried to calm her down, and a large group of kids who clearly didn't want to go to lessons and had found this to watch, stood around laughing.

Jack immediately went behind the counter and approached Candace, while Becky turned her attention to the kids.

It took a lot of shouting and threats of detention, and a lot of effort, to make them go to their next lessons.

By the time she was done, she turned around to face Jack and Candace to find that Jack had been successful in calming her down, though he'd had to tell her he'd give Bolton a second chance at the school, which he wasn't totally happy about.

Becky glanced at Jack, and the pair of them started to walk out of the canteen together.

Becky was dying to know what was going on .

" So," she said, " what's going on? What did Ria say? "

Jack replied, " Eddie decided she should meet the gifted and talented kids. "

" I didn't realise Eddie was helping you," Becky replied as she and Jack walked through the corridors - Becky assumed they were walking towards the class where Eddie and the gifted and talented kids were.

" He seems to have gotten on side," Jack replied - Becky realised that this was the first proper conversation they'd had since their break up. The first conversation when they were alone, and they weren't talking about their relationship. " Now, what about you? "

Becky sighed, not wanting him to think anything wrong.

He seemed to sense this as he continued, " I'm asking you as a member of my management team. No-body knows how hard I've worked the school like you do. "

It was hard not to get drawn in by his lovely voice, and she gave in, holding her hands up, " Fine, but this is because you're a good headmaster, nothing more. And luckily for you, this is my free lesson, so I guess I'll use it to help you. "

Jack stopped still as they walked, to look at her, " Thank you so much. "

She nodded, " Come on, Mr Rimmer, let's get going. "

They were soon stood outside the art classroom, and they got there just as Eddie was leaving the room. Eddie didn't seem to notice Becky at first, as jack looked at him.

" Am I done for? " he asked, looking very worried.

Eddie looked at Jack, " Calm yourself, she's still in there with the kids, and they've been our biggest selling point. We'd better get busy - " he seemed to notice Becky for the first time and he said, " Becky ... you're ... helping? "

Becky exchanged a quick look with Jack and then nodded, " Strictly professional, of course. I figure that the management should stick together and I've got a spare hour. "

" Good," Eddie said as the three of them started down the corridors, to Jack's office, " now, Jack, have you flagged any of the bursary stuff up on the SEF forms? Reports to governors? We've got to give them something - she's on the phone to her people now, before she goes back to see the kids again. "

Jack's silence was a clear "no" and when they got to the office, Jack had to leave after Bridget gave him a message saying he needed to go sort out cover for a sick teacher.

While Jack was gone, Eddie and Becky started going over old paperwork and trying to legitimise what Jack had done, messing around with the budget.

Becky pulled out a file from the bookcase behind the desk and stole a pen from the desk.

When Jack came back, she held up a couple of sheets of paper and waved them in his direction, " I've tweaked the school development plan," she said, " and Eddie's added a bit to the departmental evaluations. "

Jack looked very grateful and he looked between the pair of them.

" Why are you doing this? " he asked.

" We've discussed it," Eddie said, " and we think you've got a good chance, if Nigel backs you. "

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them, and they turned to see Ria Cheetham in the doorway. Becky had only ever passed Ria in the corridor, and never properly met her.

" Come in, come in," Jack said quickly when he saw her.

Ria nodded her head, " Gentlemen ... Miss Clarkson, is it? "

" How did you find the kids? " asked Jack.

Ria nodded again, " Good, good, they spoke very highly of the school, but I'll get to the point. I suggest you contact the chair of your board of governors, and ask him convene an emergency meeting here about 2 o clock. "

" Why? What's happened? " Jack asked quickly.

Ria looked at Jack very seriously and said, " The LEA will be laying charges of financial misappropriation at you, Jack. "

With that, she left, and Becky stared after her. She felt like all day had been building up to this point, but she couldn't have prepared herself for how much it was going to hurt.

The thought of Jack not being around everyday brought up emotions she didn't even know she was feeling, and she suddenly felt very sad at the thought of him leaving, and quite anoyed at him for jeapordising his job like this. Not to mention the school.

There was no way that Jack could leave.

Eddie sighed and looked at Jack, " You'd best get thinking about what you can say at this meeting then, once you've got in touch with Nigel," he said.

He left the room, and Becky looked at Jack, " It'll be alright, you know," she said, though they both knew she wasn't convincing herself, never mind him.

Jack sighed heavily and he looked like a lost little boy when he turned to her.

" Becky, you've got to know, it was always for the kids. I appreciate your help, and I just want you to know that everything I did was for the kids. "

Becky felt tears filling up in her eyes. She shook her head, determined not to let the tears take over and determined to push them down, " You just don't think it through! " she exploded, failing to keep her emotions down, " You charge straight in ahead. "

Jack looked at her carefully - he was always one to wait for her, and work around her, and he seemed to be assessing the situation first, " Are we talking about the school, or you and me? " he asked her.

She paused for a moment as she realised she didn't even know, herself, " Everything! " she replied honestly, " you just don't stop and think! "

" I messed up," Jack admitted loudly, making her stop and listen to him, " maybe ... maybe we can work through this now. "

" No," Becky said quickly, " no. If you want my help, it's in a professional manner - it's too late for me and you. If I'm helping you, it's for the good of the school, and it's for Maxine, because she came tome and begged me to help you. "

Jack nodded, " I'll let you get on with your own work," he said, " but I really do appreciate your help. I'll be getting onto Nigel then. "

She nodded and left the room, wishing everything was simple again.

At lunch, she sat with Tom, Jasmine and Davina. The newly qualified teacher and the teaching assistant were the best of friends and Becky had become friends with them both too. It would never match the close friendship she'd had with Izzie and Lorna but it was nice to have new friends around, though they could also never match up to her Tom, her constant.

As they ate, she let herself get immersed in Davina's story of how well Karla was doing in classes and how much she was enjoying being part of Matt's musical, and in Jasmine's stories about her entertaining 6th form classes.

She was so confused over her feelings for Jack, and she tried to forget all about them. Her friends were doing a good job of making her forget about him, even if they didn't know they were doing so, until the door opened and Jack strode in, followed by Eddie.

" Ok," Jack said, standing at the front of the room and commanding everyone's attentions, " you may as well all know, there's been an emergency governors meeting called for this afternoon. Ria Cheetham, the school advisor, had objected to me targeting funds at our new year ten kids - the gifted and talented group. "

" Of course," scoffed Grantly, " can't be seen to be helping the clever kids, can we? "

Jack had the grace to look a bit sheepish, " Yeah well, I did bend the rules a little, so I might be suspended. "

There was a sharp intake of breath from around the room.

Jack continued, looking upset, " But I need to get one thing straight in my mind - the g and t kids - a success, right? "

There was a murmur of agreement from around the room, and Jack nodded, " Good," he said, " because if Mrs Cheetham gets her way, we'll all be going back to mixed ability teaching. "

" Hang on," Steph said quickly, " are you serious that you could be suspended? "

" I'm reasonably confident that the governors will see things my way," Jack said, before nodding and leaving the staffroom, Eddie following him back out.

It was all getting too much for Becky, and as the rest of the staff started talking about the revelation, Becky knew she needed to leave before she started crying.

She left the room, leaving Jasmine, Davina and Tom watching her go.

" Is she alright? " Davina asked.

" No," Tom said, standing up, " she's just trying to pretend that she is. "

He followed her out of the room, and he tracked her down to her office. She had her back to the door but she knew who was coming in. She wiped away a tear as she turned around to face him.

" Aww Becky," sighed Tom, shaking his head, " not your day, is it, darlin'? "

She shook her head, " I'm so confused, I don't know how I feel. "

That was the only tear to fall and her upset was more confusion about what was going on.

" I feel bad, you know," Tom said, " about slagging Jack off at break, when you've ... you've clearly still got feelings for him. "

" I haven't! " she insisted, though she wasn't convincing anyone. She shook her head as she looked at him, " and I know you don't like him ... after Izzie ... but you've got to understand. He was never the same after her, you know. Cold sweats, dark moods, anti-depressants, and that being the good days. "

Tom shook his head, " It's not just about Izzie now. Look at what he did to you. "

" Well, that _was _unexcusable," she agreed, " but what he's done for the school ... god, I don't know how I feel, Tommy. He _has _done good here. He's helped just about everyone in the school. He's a good headmaster, he just ... wasn't a good boyfriend. "

" Well," Tom said, reaching out and putting his hands on her shoulders, " if I were to ever clear it up with him about Izzie, it wouldn't change how I feel about him and you. Whatever else he's done, hurting you was inexcusable. "

She smiled weakly and he pulled her into a hug.

She and Tom had a drink in her office after that, and by the end of lunch, he'd made her feel better - or as much as anyone could.

Becky was walking down the corridor when she passed Eddie, who was heading off in the other direction.

" Are you going to the meeting this afternoon? " Eddie asked her.

Becky shook her head, " I can't - I can't get cover for my lesson, and since my presence isn't really required - he'll be ok as long as he's got you to back him up. "

Eddie nodded, " I'll be there. "

Becky hesitated before saying, " Do wish Jack good luck from me, won't you? "

" Of course," Eddie said, pausing before telling her, " I think it's very admirable that you're helping Jack. " When Becky didn't reply, he added, " well, as far as I know, Jack's going to come to the staffroom at the end of the day and announce the results of the meeting. "

Becky nodded, " Well, give him some good luck from me. "

She had lessons for the entire afternoon - a year ten class she was teaching the cold war to, and then a year 13 class who were studing the fourth crusade.

The lessons made her take her mind off Jack and as always, she gave everything to her lessons and really got involved.

It was only when the bell rang at the end of the day when she felt like she was falling apart.

She gathered her things together and started to walk towards the staffroom. On her way, she saw Maxine and she smiled at her.

" Hey sweetie," she said, though her smile was strained.

" What's going on with Jack? " Maxine asked.

Becky shook her head, " I'll know soon - depending on what happens, there might be a bit of clearing up and finishing things to do here, so he might not be able to take you home. "

Maxine nodded, " That's ok - Jack said I could go around to Janeece's after school anyway. "

Becky nodded, " I'll call you later. "

Maxine smiled and the two of them went their seperate ways.

When Becky entered the staffroom, she found Grantly, Tom, Davina, Jasmine and Matt sat around together. She went over to them, almost tripping over Matt's feet with the daze that she was in.

There was no spare seat and she sat on the arm of Tom's chair, leaning slightly against him.

The staffroom was full as everyone wanted to know what was going on. Steph was over in the kitchen area, and Becky looked around the room, rather worried about what might happen next.

The thought of Jack not being around every day, and being around all the time, being there for every moment of the school, was ridiculous.

The room was quiet, as everyone was contemplating what could happen next, and all awaiting the verdict.

" Fancy going out some place for tea tonight? " Tom asked Becky quietly.

Becky sighed, unable to stop herself smiling a little, " I don't know how up for going out I'll be," she said, shaking her head, " when today's finished, I might just be curling up in front of the telly with a dvd. "

Tom nodded, but from the look he gave her, she knew he was telling her to stay strong.

They all sat in silence for a while, before the door of the staffroom banged open.

Becky's heart was beating ridiculously fast and she didn't know why, or what was going on.

" None of you got homes to go to? " Jack asked, raising his eyebrows, though Becky knew that he was trying to make a joke because he was nervous and worried about what he was about to reveal.

There was a light chuckle around the room, but it seemed very tense.

Jack took a deep breath before announcing it. " I've resigned," he said, " with immediate effect. "

There was a collective gasp around the room and Becky took a quick look around to find that everyone was sharing the same look that she was. Everyone was completely stunned.

Becky couldn't believe that he'd resign and she couldn't understand why. She was in confusion about how she felt - she and Jack had split up, and it would be much easier if she didn't have to see him all the time, but she couldn't imagine him not being there. She certainly didn't want to imagine what a new headmaster could bring.

She felt like she was about to cry and she really couldn't imagine the place without him.

" I'm not going to make a speech," Jack promised, " so I'll just say my goodbyes individually. "

Becky watched as he made his way around the staffroom, shaking hands and hugging his staff. As he got closer and closer to working his way around towards her, she was worried about totally breaking down.

She watched as Jack stopped in front of Steph, and there was an awkward moment as Jack didn't seem to know how to say goodbye.

" Don't hate me," Steph said, shaking her head. The whole room was silent as the people aound the room listened to everything that was going on.

Jack simply nodded and he reached out and hugged her briefly, before moving on.

Finally, he got to the group sat neat the door.

He cleared his throat and looked at Matt first. " Good luck with the musical," he said, as Matt stood up to shake Jack's hand. " You're doing a good job. "

Matt smiled gratefully as Jack turned to Jasmine. She was sitting down, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek, " You keep Grantly on the straight and narrow for me," he said, " someone's got to. "

Jasmine smiled and Jack turned to Davina. He kissed her cheek too, leaning down to where she was sitting next to Jasmine, " You're doing a great job with Karla," he said, " keep up the good work. "

Davina smiled, remembering the fact that if it wasn't for his encouragement, she wouldn't have taken the steps into being a teaching assistant.

He told Grantly to take care, and Grantly wished him all the best, before Jack was left with only two people out of the entire room.

He nodded at Tom wordlessly, feeling that due to their clashes and fights and arguments over Izzie's death and where Tom placed the blame, not to mention the fact that Jack had done the unforgiveable in Tom's eyes by hurting his little sister.

Tom nodded back silently, and from the look on his face, it seemed like he wanted to do more.

Jack was now left with Becky.

When Becky looked up at him, from where she sat on the arm of Tom's chair, she felt like she was going to cry but she forced herself to smile and look him in the eye.

Jack didn't know what the appropiate goodbye was for a an ex girlfriend who had meant so much to him and who he was still very much in love with, especially since they were in a room full of people.

He offered her a smile but it looked like he was about to cry too.

He ended up sticking out his hand and Becky was confused that he was going for a hand shake, but she stuck out her hand in return. When he took hold of her hand, it was gently, as she realised that this was the first contact they'd had since they split it one week ago.

He held her hand gently and squeezed it. She smiled a little and squeezed his hand back. He allowed himself to run his thumb against the back of her hand and he opened his mouth like he was about to say something, before changing his mind and closing his mouth again.

He gave her hand a final squeeze before letting go.

It didn't feel like a proper goodbye to either of them - they felt like they weren't finished and it wasn't enough of a goodbye after all they'd been through.

His eyes lingered on her before he turned his back and swept out of the room.

There was a big pause, during which the room was completely silent, before Tom got up and left the room at a fast pace, following Jack.

Becky sighed and took a deep breath, getting up and wandering over to the little kitchen area which was in the corner of the staffroom and sort of closed in by the counters. She turned her back on the rest of the room, and her action had caused the rest of the room to spring to life.

Becky closed her eyes as she listened to everyone in the room talk to each other and tried to block it out.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to be faced with Jasmine. She tried to say something but couldn't get any words out and she shook her head as the tears started.

Jasmine nodded and hugged her, and Becky tried to stop crying, though it seemed to be no good.

Becky was still sobbing when she felt Jasmine pull away and a different body being pressed against hers, with strong arms wrapping around her and pulling her to a warm familiar chest.

" Shhh, darlin', shh," Tom mumbled, stroking her back gently.

Her sobs subsided as her brother held her and as she looked up at him when they broke apart, she shook her head, " I'm a mess, I know. "

Tom shook his head, " I think you're allowed to be, given the cirumstances. "

" Why did you go after him? " Becky asked, wiping at her face and taking a deep breath.

Tom smiled sadly, " I had to tell him I don't blame him. For Izzie. Couldn't let him go off thinking I blamed him for her death - guess I've known for a while that it wasn't his fault, but I was so consumed with grief that I got things messed up in my head. "

Becky nodded a little, " He'll be so relieved, you know. "

Tom nodded, " I made it clear that as much as I didn't blame him for Izzie's death, I blamed him for breaking my little sister's heart. "

Becky sighed, " You didn't have to tell him that. "

Tom was about to reply, but Matt called out across the room, " Hey, come and look at what the kids are doing! Everyone come and look! "

Curious, Becky walked past Tom and several of the staff went to stand in front of the window of the staffroom, which overlooked the playground.

Tom followed her and Becky couldn't believe what she was seeing outside.

She laughed when she saw the crowds of children gathered around the main entrance of the school. They were holding up signs and banners, and Becky could make out the writing on some of the larger ones - they seemed to include things like "We want Rimmer" and "Rimmer's the best."

She was thrilled to see that the kids cared so much about Jack and didn't want him to go. She knew he wasn't always popular but he did his best for every child that he could, and they all respected him.

A few of the staff left the staffroom, clearly intending to join the kids, and after one went, many others followed. Becky smiled and Tom looked at her.

" You alright? " he asked.

She smiled sadly, " Let's go show our support," she said.

Tom nodded and Becky found herself following Jasmine and Matt out of the room.

She was in silence as they walked through the school and she tried to keep herself pulled together. It wouldn't do her any good to fall apart in front of the pupils, she knew.

They went outside, and just as Becky looked around, she saw that Maxine and Janeece were on the front row. She smiled a little and she and the rest of the staff gathered around the edges of the groups of pupils, waiting to see what would happen.

When the governors came out a moment later, they couldn't get any further than the top of the steps leading down to the playground, because the pupils refused to move for them, which Becky found very amusing.

The governors didn't seem to know what to do, and the pupils started booing and hissing at the governors. None of the staff present made an effort to stop the pupils and Becky thought it was a great testament to how much Jack was respected.

After a couple of minutes of standing around, the doors opened, and Jack and Eddie walked out.

The kids started cheering as loud as possible when Jack came out and he immediately broke into a grin. Eddie looked around, suprised as Jack was, but also grinned. Jack looked quite overwhelmed and he shook his head as he looked across at everyone, grinning. His eyes rested on Maxine, and he had a strong suspicion she'd organised it all, and he winked at her.

After it became clear that the kids weren't going to calm down, he lifted up his hands in an effort to make them be quiet, " Alright, alright, that's enough! "

Reluctantly, they all calmed down, and Becky waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.

Jack took what looked like a deep breath and spoke up, adressing the large crowd in front of him, " I'm touched by your support. It's so nice to be appreciated. " He gestured to the governors as he added, " these men and women have done a dificult job today - "

The pupils started booing and Becky felt herself about to burst with emotion as she looked at Jack, unable to imagine the school without him.

Jack shook his head, " Come on, you lot," he said, " we ... _you ... _are going to let them leave. I want Brett and Janeece to make a gap there and let the governors out. Come on now. "

The kids very slowly made a gap and were clearly not happy about it. As the governors moved towards the pupils, they all looked very nervous, and Becky couldn't help hating every single one of them, especially Ria Cheetham.

When the last of the governors had left, Jack cleared his throat and all attention was suddenly back to him.

" I won't be here tomorrow," he announced, enticing another round of boos from the pupils, making him grin.

" We want Rimmer! " shouted Maxine, only to be joined by a few others, and then several more. Soon everyone was chanting and Jack looked completely touched, though clearly struggling with his emotions.

" Alright, listen up! " he finally shouted, " I want to tell you something. Now, if it wasn't for you lot, there wouldn't be a Waterloo Road. You should all be proud of yourselves, because I'm proud of you. "

He glanced around, and he met Becky's eyes for a fraction of a second.

She felt like crying, but she kept herself pulled together.

Jack was still talking, " Don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough, because being a part of this school isn't going to stop you achieving what you want to achieve. In fact, it's going to help you. And everything I've done in there - "

His voice broke a little and he had to take a break to collect himself. He was so close to crying and it pushed Becky over the edge and made silent tears fall down her cheeks.

" It's been a priveledge to be the headmaster of this school, and to work with some of the finest young people I could hope to meet. So good luck. " He took another deep breath, " so move along now, before I have to call the police. "

He took a few steps down, and as the kids starting talking amongst themselves, some of them moved towards him, and Becky watched from across the playground as he starting shaking hands with some of the pupils and talking to them all.

It was all too much and she wiped at her face with her hand before moving forwards, back towards the school.

She walked past Tom on her way, and she saw him she stopped.

" Hey," she said, " I'm going to go to my office for a bit. Don't worry about me. Um ... I'll come home in a bit. "

Tom looked at her carefully, " You sure? "

She nodded, " I've just got a lot of paperwork to do and I ... I'll be home soon. "

He nodded, knowing that she was far too old for him to worry about all the time. He leaned in and kissed her cheek protectively. She attempted a smile before going back inside.

She went to the staff toilets first, looking in the mirror and trying to make herself look like less of a mess. But the more she thought about Jack leaving, the more she felt like crying and she was in the bathroom a while before she felt like she'd calmed down enough to leave.

She went to her office, feeling miserable, and she sat down behind her desk.

She actually did have a bit of paperwork to do, though she'd mostly told Tom that so she could have some time alone. She pulled a document towards herself and pulled out a pen.

She'd only written a couple of things before she put the pen down and her elbows on the table, with her head in her hands. She couldn't get her mind straight.

She didn't know how long she'd been sat there, before she heard the door opening.

Her head snapped up and she saw Jack standing in the doorway.

" Can I ... um ... can I come in? " he asked.

She nodded, slowly standing up. She wiped away some of the new tears that had formed and she slowly walked around the desk so she was just stood a few feet away from him.

" I thought we should talk," he said quietly, " you know, about Maxine, and ... stuff. "

She nodded, " Yeah. Um ... what are you going to do next? "

He answered confidently, like he'd really thought about it, " I'm going to take some time out of education. "

She shook her head, completely stunned, " But you can't! You're such a great headmaster - you can't! "

" No, no, it's the right thing to do," he told her, stuffing his hands in his pockets, " I've given it a lot of thought. I've messed things up, and I stopped thinking things through properly. I think I need to slow down, take a break, sort my head out. You don't need me to tell you that I'm in a strange place right now, and I haven't recovered properly from before the summer. I need to sort my head out. " He took a deep breath and then smiled a little, " Whereas you, are an outstanding teacher. "

She smiled bashfully and shook her head.

" No, I'm serious," he said, " Look at you - you're 29 and you're holding one of the top 3 roles in the school. It won't be long before you're running the place, I'm sure. "

Becky felt like they were just hitting a place where they could talk like adults, and even though they weren't together, they didn't need to argue. They could at least try and have a proper discussion, for Maxine's sake.

But she felt like it was ridiculous that he was leaving. " Tell me you're not really leaving," she said, frowning, " you've put so much into this place. I've seen how hard you've worked - you're really going to walk away from it all? "

He nodded, " There were times recently when I felt like I was going to end up on the roof, like the previous headmaster. I'm getting out with my pride, and I just need a break."

Becky nodded and there was a brief pause while she tried to gather her thoughts. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was that he'd hired her in the first place, and he'd promoted her, and always supported her career.

She wanted to let him know that they might have fallen out personally but it didn't affect what she thought of him professionally.

" You've got to know," she said, meeting his eyes bravely, " that you are an amazing headmaster and I ... I don't know how to put into words, everything that I ... I ... "

Jack nodded, understanding how hard it was for her, " I think your help today said it all. It meant a lot. "

She nodded and as they looked at each other, Jack sighed. He needed some support and knew she must be feeling terrible too.

" Come here," he commanded.

She nodded and before either of them realised who had started it, they were hugging tightly. It felt like a relief to be able to hug Jack again, and it was a warm hug, which reminded her of all the good times they'd had before.

" I can't imagine this place without you," Becky told him as they broke apart.

" You'll cope," Jack told her.

They stood in silence for a moment, neither of them quite sure what to say, before Jack spoke up. " I'll be better this way, you know. I can figure out where my head is, take some time for myself. Then I'l be fixed - I'll be better. "

Becky nodded but then a thought occured to her, " OK, practical terms - where are you going? Not that _I _need to know of course, but we have a teenage foster daughter and we've got to make this as normal as possible for her. She lives with you, but she's at school here. What about her? "

" I've thought it all through," Jack told her, " I've quite a bit of money saved up, and I'm moving. "

" What? Where to? "

Jack smiled fondly, " Hear me out, little miss impatient. I'm going to move away because I need a new start. I need somewhere new to clear out my head and sort myself out before I can even think of getting back into education. I thought I might go to my brother's. "

Becky nodded but then frowned, " Isn't that ... in Leeds? "

Jack smiled, " Not too far away, but far enough that it's a fresh start. It's only about an hour away. But I want you to have the house. "

For a moment, she couldn't figure out what he meant, and when she realised, she was convinced she must have gotten it wrong. " Y-your house? " she asked, thinking of the house she'd lived in for 18 months until last week. Her and Jack's house. Until they'd split, and she had to move out.

" Please, have the house," he said quickly, " I'm moving away, going to stay with my brother, and I've got enough money to put down a deposit on a flat, but you and Maxy can't stay with Tom, can you? You're going to need somewhere. He's already got Mika, and Chlo - because they'll find her, I promise you. And I've got a feeling she'll be moving in with Tom, and sod that flat of her and Donte's. You're going to need a proper house, so just take the one I'm offering you. For Maxine. "

Becky knew it made sense but it seemed dangerous to accept the house from him. It was all in his name and he could take it back at any time he wanted if he fell on hard times and realised he needed it. She decided he made a good point - it was for Maxine.

She supposed she could accept it if they made it official and it was all signed over to her properly.

" I'll think about it," she said, " but we really need to discuss things with Maxine. Whatever's happened to me and you, she needs to know where she stands. "

" Absolutely," Jack agreed, " I'll see her all the time, I promise, and I'll send you money for her, and oh god, when did things get so serious? "

Becky shook her head and after a pause, she said, " I can't believe you're leaving. I never thought things would end up like this. "

" Me neither," he told her, " c'mere. "

She didn't need telling twice, and they hugged again. It was a warm, safe hug, and she allowed her cheek to rest against his chest. She forced her mind to stop wandering back to how they'd been before and she tried not to get too sentimental.

As she felt Jack's arms loosen a little around her, he started talking to her.

" You should come over tomorrow," he said, " about mid-day? We could talk about Maxine. Talk _with _Maxine - make sure she understands what's going on, and she's relatively happy. Now, d'you need a lift home. "

She cleared her throat, " I've got a bit of paperwork to do. "

He shook his head, " It's been a long enough day for everyone as it is. Leave it and go home. Lift? "

" I'm good. "

He knew she wasn't and he shook his head, " Becky - " he started, only for her to interrupt. " Fine," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, " I'm too tired to argue anymore. I suppose we can at least part on good terms. "

Jack nodded and he watched as she got her things together.

When she'd got her bag on her shoulder and her office keys in hand, Jack left the office ahead of her. He watched her lock the door and as they started to walk down the corridors, towards the main entrance, he reached out slowly and draped his arm over her shoulders.

It was sort of comforting and they were both in the kind of place where they knew they were over - though they each still had feelings for the other - and they were just trying to part amicably to do the best for Maxine.

They walked in silence but it was a comfortable silence, and Jack was sort of leaning against Becky, and she sort of leaned against him too.

They barely spoke in the car as he drove her to Tom's, and when he pulled up outside, she looked at him. He turned to meet her eyes and smiled, " Thanks for all your help today. "

She shook her head, " Not a problem. Thanks for the lift. "

" Any time," he said, before clearing his throat, " so I'll ... I'll see you tomorrow? So we can sort things out, discuss it properly and everything. "

" Sure - about mid-day," she said.

Jack nodded and they shared a final smile before she got out of the car.

She tried to put everything that had happened out of her mind, but she couldn't believe what a day it had been. As she walked through the garden gate, she found Mika and Donte standing in the middle of the path.

" Donte," she smiled, " you're ... what're you doing here? "

He looked at her, " I thought I'd better get involved with this search for Chlo - I should have been involved from the very beginning. I've been everywhere we ever used to go together. "

Becky nodded, " Good. Try and see if you can think of any more places. We'll get there soon, we've got to be making progress. "

" We will find her, " Mika said.

The three of them were at least agreed on one thing, and before anyone could say anything else, there was a voice from the door, which was half open.

" Are you lot coming in here? " Tom asked, " I want my family back, and that includes you, soft lad. Get inside, the lot of you, heats going outside the door. "

Mika and Donte moved first, and Becky followed the pair of them, straight into a big hug from her brother.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm not sure when Jack will be coming back, so let me know if you've got any ideas. When he comes back, he'll either get a job as a regular history teacher at Waterloo Road, since Rachel's going to be headmistress, or he'll get a job as headmaster at another school in the area. <strong>

**I'm thinking of having Becky not like Rachel but I don't know how I can have them clash - any ideas on that would also be welcome.**


	9. New Head

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Nine

Becky was in a rather miserable mood that evening, and the next morning, she came downstairs while Tom was eating breakfast.

" Morning," she said, with a bright smile that hadn't been present the day before.

" Hey," he said through a mouthful of toast, " you're in a good mood. "

" No point moping," she replied, " I'm going to see Jack. "

Tom sighed, " What for? "

" Relax," she said, taking her car keys from the worktop, " we're going to talk to Maxine, make sure she knows where Jack's going, sorts out staying in touch, just ... just talk to her, you know? " She leaned down and kissed his cheek, " see you later, Tom. "

Becky got in the car and drove to Jack's house.

It was a little awkward to walk into the house she'd lived in for almost 18 months, and it was Maxine who answered the door to her, hugging her tightly.

" Hey sweetie," Becky grinned, " you alright? "

Maxine nodded and walked into the living room, where Jack was already sitting in the armchair. " Did you finish your history essay? " Becky asked, " I'm expecting a very good grade from you. "

Maxine nodded, " I did. "

Becky's eyes narrowed a little suspiciously, " Without your dad's help? "

Maxine glanced at Jack who was smirking, and then nodded, " Did it all alone. "

" Good, look forward to reading it," nodded Becky, sitting down on the sofa.

It felt odd to be in the room, but she couldn't argue with Jack anymore. They spoke openly and honestly with Maxine, and it was decided that Jack would sign the house over to Becky - she offered to buy it but he refused, insisting it was for Maxine, so Becky and Maxine would have the house. Jack had rung his brother in Leeds the night before, and his brother would be coming to help him move his things the next day, so Becky could move in sunday evening - not that she had a lot of things to take, because she'd still left most of it there from having moved in with Tom.

Jack told Maxine he'd still see her all the time and it was agreed that she'd be able to ring and text him as much as she wanted during the week, and she'd be able to see him on weekends.

When they were sure Maxine was happy with everything, Becky glanced at Jack.

" I'd better get going," she said, " lot of marking to do, and Tom and I are going to search for Chlo again - we've been everywhere we could possibly go, but it can't hurt to go again. "

Becky walked to the front door after hugging Maxine tightly, and Jack followed her.

" Well, I'll see you around," he said.

As Becky looked up at him, she realised she didn't know when she'd see him again. Jack would be gone tomorrow morning, Maxine was going to say goodbye to Jack then go to Janeece's for a while, and Tom would be helping Becky take her things back to the house tomorrow evening.

It had been agreed that Maxie would go to see Jack the very next weekend, but she'd probably be taking the train, and meeting Jack at the train station.

She sighed - she ever thought they'd end up like this.

" Yeah," she said, " see you around. "

Jack sighed, " Come here," he commanded, a slight smile to his face.

She nodded and walked into his open arms, which he immediately closed around her. She rested her cheek against his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her head. They stayed together for a moment, and broke apart rather reluctantly.

Becky didn't know when she was going to see him again and Jack was sad to be going, but he knew how much pressure he'd put her under after his near break down after Izzie's death, and he knew he needed to go straighten himself out.

When they broke apart, Becky smiled as she realised this could be the last time she saw him in a long time, and she wanted to say a proper goodbye.

She got onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

" Bye Jack. "

Jack nodded, forcing himself not to reach up and touch the place her lips had just left, and forcing himself from not reaching out and kissing her wildly.

" Bye Becky. "

Becky tried to remain in good spirits for the rest of the day, thugh she wasn't sure she was doing a good job, and by the end of weekend, she had spent a long time plastering a smile across her face and insisting she was great.

She tried to convince herself that she was fine, and she even did quite a good job of convincing Tom. He seemed rather happy to believe that she was ok, and he didn't realise exactly how much she was going to miss Jack.

She'd been doing a good job of convincing her brother that she wasn't still in love with Jack, but she knew deep down that she wasn't over him. But she wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

She was certain that if she kept telling herself that she didn't have feelings for him, then it would become true.

It felt very wrong to get in the bed that evening. Jack's brother had come with a van and taken Jack and all of his belongings, but Jack had signed the house to Becky and left her very nearly all of the furniture.

She threw back the duvet and got into bed and she felt dejected as she curled up in bed.

It felt big and empty and she closed her eyes.

The next day was a monday.

Becky got up, got ready for week and read the newspaper until it was time to go to work. She got behind the wheel of her car and smiled as Maxine got into the passenger seat.

" Alright sweetie? "

Maxine nodded, " Gonna be weird without Jack around, isn't it? " she commented as they started to head towards school.

" Yeah, I guess it will be, " she said, " but life goes on - the school will have to function without him. "

Maxine nodded, " Still weird, though. I can't believe he's really ... gone. Can't imagine the school without him. Is there going to be a new head teacher now? "

" I wouldn't have thought so," Becky replied, " more than likely that Eddie will see it through. At least until after christmas. Which I suppose is good news for me because it means in terms of management, I'll only have to work with Eddie, and not someone I don't know. Eddie and I can manage, I'm sure, though ... well ... I can't imagine Jack's office not being his office. "

Maxine sighed, " I'm not sure I like the thought of someone else in his office. "

Becky smiled, " It's just going to be a strange change for us not to have Jack around all the time. We'll get used to it. "

Neither of them was sure if that was true, but Maxine changed the subject, by telling Becky about a piece of french work she'd been doing last week that Steph had decided wasn't good enough.

When they got to school, Becky agreed to meet Maxine at the car at the end of the day.

Maxine then went off to meet her friends, and as Becky locked the car, she saw Tom and Mika getting out of Tom's car. She smiled and went over to them.

Tom smiled slightly and he offered out his arm to her, " Morning," he said.

" Morning," she replied, " what time are we meeting with the police? "

" 9:30," he said, " I just hope it'll throw up something good - some new leads or something. "

Becky nodded, worried about the girl she considered her niece, " We'll find her. "

Tom nodded and he reached out and draped his free arm around Mika's shoulders, " Don't worry Mika," he said, perfectly able to read the expression on her face, and very worried that she wasn't coping well.

Mika sniffed, biting her lip and he tightened his arm as they made it into the school.

" We'll just have to see what the police say," Tom said, " we're going to find her. "

Mika sighed and nodded, before walking off.

Tom sighed and looked at Becky, who was still walking arm in arm with him.

" What d'you think will be happening with the management now? " he asked, " if Eddie's going to be acting head, are you going to be acting deputy from now on, or will they bring someone new in? "

" I don't know," she replied, " they might struggle to find someone new quickly. Come on, how about we get a coffee before we go to the police station? "

As they started up the staircase, Tom sighed, " I'm worried about Mika, you know. "

" Me too," nodded Becky, " we'll have to keep an extra close eye on her, I think. She's going to need a lot of support to come to terms with it all, and I think she's starting to panic that we might never find Chlo. "

Tom shook his head, " That won't happen, will it? "

Becky knew it was a possibility that that might never find Chlo - after two weeks missing, there was a worry that they'd never be able to find her, but none of them would face that possibility right now.

" No, Tommy, no," she replied.

When they got into the staffroom, they found several members of staff gathered around the a table near the kitchen area. The table was covered in delicious looking muffins and cakes and Becky raised her eyebrows, " What's going on? " she asked.

" Eddie put it all on," Jasmine grinned, " and if this is how he's starting off, he'll make a great headmaster. "

" Out with the old I suppose," Matt said, looking across at everything.

Becky frowned a little, thinking about it and nodding, " Looks like it. "

Grantly scoffed, " Matt, you don't think Lawson's doing this out of the good of his own heart? He wants to soften us all up, I'm telling you, power corrupts. Turns you into a right - "

He quickly shut up when Eddie entered the room, and Eddie gave him a cold look, before smiling around at the room.

" Good morning everyone," he said.

" Starting like you mean to go on? " asked Steph with a smile.

" This is just a thank you from me to you all," Eddie replied, " last week, Friday, wasn't easy and you all did well keeping the kids on track. Just a couple of things - we're a senior teacher down, so I want everyone to keep on their toes - Beck you especially, since it's just me and you for the time being. Although I want everyone to keep an extra eye out first period as Becky nd Tom will be down the police station. Second thing, if anyone was wondering, looks like the governors are going to confirm me acting head, at least until the end of term, and after that it's anyone's guess. They'll have to advertise. "

" Going to throw your name into the ring? " asked Steph with a smile.

" Never given it a 2nd thought," he replied, " I just want to get to the end of term. " He looked around and then nodded, " well, have a good week everyone. "

After getting a drink together and making sure cover was arranged for their lessons, the pair of them headed off to the police station. Tom had pleaded with his sister to come for moral support and she'd immediately agreed.

They met with the detective who was running the case, and it turned out he didn't know a great deal, which was hardly a comfort to them.

" Can't you do more off the back of the press appeal? " asked Tom as the detective walked out of the station with them.

The detective shook his head and sighed, " Not for a young adult who's made her own decision. We may have to just accept that Chlo's made her own choice. "

Tom shook his head and thanked the man though he didn't feel like thanking anyone. He and Becky were in low spirits as they went back to the school.

When they got there it was five minutes before break time was due to start, and they walked down the corridor in a rather sombre mood until an unfamiliar voice from behind them broke in.

" Hello, can I help you? "

Becky turned to see a middle aged woman with light brown hair and wearing a smart black suit. She frowned, wondering who on earth this was and shook her head.

" We work here," she replied.

" Oh, then can I ask where you've been? " the woman asked as they walked back towards her.

Becky glanced at Tom, who was wearing the same stricken expression, and then looked at the woman. Becky shook her head and replied, " Um, yeah, if it's anything to do with you. "

" It is actually," the woman said, " I'm Rachel Mason, I'm the new headteacher. "

Becky was stunned and she shook her head, sure that she must have heard wrong - how could this be? She shook her head, " Sorry, what? "

" I've taken over from Jack Rimmer," Rachel Mason said.

Becky didn't like the thought of some other woman coming in and taking over Jack and she wasn't at all prepared for it. She nodded and swallowed hard, and Tom swooped in and took over.

" Oh well, congratulations. Tom Clarkson, english teacher," he said.

Rachel extended her hand and shook his and Becky swallowed, knowing she was going to have to say something. She shook Rachel's hand when Rachel offered it to her and attempted to smile.

" Rebecca Clarkson," she said.

" Ah," Rachel said with a slight smile, " you're my head of pastoral care, very good. Although you two still haven't told me where you've been. "

" Eddie said we could go to the police," Tom told her firmly, " my step daughter went missing nearly two weeks ago. That's where I've been. "

Rachel looked at Becky and Becky shrugged, " I was with him. He's my brother. "

Rachel's face softened a bit, and Tom walked off, followed by his sister. As they headed towards the staffroom, Becky wasn't sure how she felt - she felt like she didn't know the woman but she didn't think it was rational at all to take a sudden disliking to her.

They went into the staffroom, and Becky urged her brother to sit down while she made him a drink and she came back a couple of minutes later with a cup of tea for him. She sat down beside him and didn't know what to say - there was nothing she could say that would comfort him about Chlo and she was busy thinking about the woman they'd just met in the corridor.

They'd only been sat there a couple of minutes when Rachel Mason walked into the room, closely followed by Eddie.

The entire staff population looked at her in confusion.

" Ladies and gents," she said with a fixed smile, " if I can have your attention please? My name is Rachel Mason and I've been appointed headteacher at Waterloo Road - with immediate effect. "

The stunned looks around the room said it all, and from behind her, Eddie didn't look too impressed - this had clearly been a suprise for him as it was everyone else.

" As of today," she said, pacing up and down a little and looking at everyone, " I'll be changing the curriculm. In 5 months, this place will have business college status. A year from now this place will be transformed - vocational courses, specialist staff, an IT infrastructure, dedicated facilities and an extended school. "

Becky didn't think she liked the sound of it - it was the kind of thing those new schools that were trying to transform said they wanted to do. She was sure that doing things like that would take away the focus from the kids well being and she wasn't sure she liked the thought of it all.

Rachel glanced at Eddie and then at Becky, " The three of us have got one hell of a task in front of us," she said.

Becky frowned and felt like she needed to say something. She shook her head, " I don't think the kids will be interested in courses like "Travel and Tourism". Which, by the way, we've got no-one to teach. "

" If you _need _a teacher to show someone how to carry a rucksack," scoffed Grantly.

" Look," Rachel replied, " for the majority of the kids in this school, academic courses provide no useful function. "

" With all due respect," Becky said quietly, " I just don't feel that you know that much about the kids in this school. "

Rachel nodded in consideration, " I know you're pastoral care, and the well being of the kids is your main concern, but I'm a fast learner. I know about kids too. " She paused and looked around at everyone, " Why should 15 year olds be forced to take subjects in which they have no interest? "

Steph laughed, " Oh no," she said sarcastically, " how will I cope without my daily dose of Bolton Smilie? That's Bolton as in, concieved in Bolton. But it's all fine by me so long as I get to teach the bright kids. "

Rachel shook her head, " I think you'll find, Miss Haydock, your conditions of employment require you to teach all children, regardless of their ability. "

There was a silence around the room as everyone learnt that this was not a woman to be messed with.

Rachel looked around and said, " I know the last thing you'll all want is more change, but I'm afraid it's inevitable, given the mess my predeccessor left behind. "

" Mess? " Becky asked, frowning, then immediately wishing she hadn't bothered. She didn't want Rachel to think she didn't like her, but she was just struggling to cope with the thought that Jack was gone.

Rachel was a little curious as to Becky's immediate reaction, but paid little attention to it and carried on. " I have 5 weeks to deliver business and enterprise college status, so I hope you'll all get behind the bid. And I want to start with the 6th form - today they will be entrepreneurs with £200 vouchers for the best pitch. "

Grantly shook his head, " What about your lessons? "

" 6th form lessons are cancelled for today," Rachel said, " I'll expect anyone with a 6th form class to be checking out what the 6th formers are up to today. Those of you not teaching any 6th formers today can carry on as usual. Have a good day. "

Rachel left, followed by Eddie.

Becky had no 6th formers that day so she wouldn't be having anything to do with the enterprise day, and the staffroom was now full of people talking about the new teacher. Everyone was talking about the new woman and giving their opinions on her plans.

Becky just wanted to be able to get through everything.

Her next lesson was a year 8 class who she split into groups to make posters, which was a fun lesson. After that was a GCSE class, and she had a debate with them about the main causes of the first world war.

At lunch, she sat with Tom, Jasmine and Davina and they chatted away for a while. Becky was just about starting to feel like she could cope without Jack around all the time, but she knew deep down that she was going to fall apart some day.

She was walking down the corridors after lunch, towards her classroom, when she saw Rachel stood to the side of one of the corridors, talking to Maxine and Janeece.

" Becky! " Maxine called as she walked past.

Becky smiled and moved over to them curiously.

When she got there, Maxine grinned, " Becky, guess what me and Janeece are doing for our business project? "

Rachel looked very suprised and she shook her head at Maxine, " Maxine, you can't address your teachers by their first names," she reprimanded.

Becky shook her head with a smile, " Miss Mason, it's fine," she said, " Maxine's my foster daughter. "

Rachel smiled a little, " I didn't realise. "

" Go on then, Maxy," Becky said, " what are you doing? "

" We're doing a photography project," Janeece said, " a photography company - like candid camera shots, you know? "

The bell rang for registration, and Becky grinned at them, " Great idea girls, sounds like fun. Now, make sure you're not late for registration, won't you? "

Maxine and Janeece nodded, and Maxine said a quick goodbye before the pair of them left. When the girls had gone, Rachel looked at Becky curiously,

" So, she's your foster daughter? You look too young to have had her from birth," she commented.

Becky nodded, " We took her in about two years ago. She had a lot of problems but I really think we've helped her straighten herself out. She's doing really well now - really turned herself around. "

" Well, it's great that our head of pastoral care is so involved with the kids," said Rachel, " I was going to arrange a meeting with you actually, to discuss your pastoral care initatives and behavioural plans, but Eddie's given me an overview and it sounds like you're doing a very good job. " After a brief pause, she added, " so, Maxine's happy now, with you? "

Becky smiled - Maxine was her pride and joy, though she couldn't help but think it had nothing to do with a woman she'd known two minutes. Becky replied, " She never had a stable home life. We're much more parents to her than her own parents ever were. "

" We? " Rachel asked, " I'm sorry, I just didn't realise you were married. "

Becky swallowed hard. She didn't realise that she'd been referring to "we". It just came so naturally to talk about she and Jack together in terms of Maxine, and it was suddenly painful to think about Jack.

" Well, my boyfriend and I took her in," she said, " but we're not together anymore. It's alright though - she's alright, I mean. Jack's still going to see her all the time. "

Rachel nodded, and she couldn't help but wonder if "Jack" was Jack Rimmer. She made a mental note to ask Eddie later on, because given Becky's rather defensive way earlier when Rachel metnioned Jack's "mess" it just made sense.

The two women parted ways to go to their respective classroom and office.

Becky couldn't help but think Rachel was rather cheeky when it had nothing to do with her, but she tried to put it out of her mind.

Becky was teaching a lesson to her year tens after registration. It was about halfway through her lesson and she was writing some questions on the white board for class to answer, when the classroom door burst open.

She looked around and was suprised to see Tom standing there, almost out of breath.

She raised her eyebrows and he said, " Can I ... Can I have a word? "

She nodded and looked around at the class, " Will you all please have a look at these questions and make a start on answering them? I'll only be a moment. "

She walked over to the door and followed Tom out of the room. In the corridor he ran his hand through his hair and looked at her wide eyed, " I think we've found Chlo. "

She gasped, " You ... you have? "

He nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face, " Chlo was arrested and released without caution a few hours ago. I'm going to get her. "

" Arrested? " Becky repeated, frowning.

Tom shook his head, " It's alright, she's ok, I'm going to get her. "

Becky grinned, " Oh I can't believe we've found her. I can't come with you though, you know. They won't be able to cover both our lessons unexpectedly. "

He nodded, a wide grin on his face and she smiled, " Oh good luck Tommy," she said, throwing her arms around him. He grinned and hugged her tightly, before racing off.

She smiled to herself before going back into her classroom.

At the end of the lesson, she went to her office where she had some mentoring time tables to organise, and she was in a very good mood thanks to Tom's revelation that he'd found Chlo.

She was thrilled at the thought of having her back and so relieved.

She smiled as she did her paperwork and she'd been in the office quite a while when there was a knock at the door.

She looked up and Eddie walked into the office, looking grim, Mika following him. Becky stood up when she saw Mika and frowned - she looked like she'd been crying and even looked ill.

" I think a spot of pastoral care might be in order," Eddie said as Mika trailed in.

" Hey sweetie," Becky said, coming around the other side of the desk, " what's going on? "

Mika shook her head, eyes half closed and looking like she just wanted to lay down and go to sleep.

" She's been drinking," Eddie said quietly, as Mika sat down on Becky's comfy sofa, " and she was sick. Erm ... on Rachel. "

Becky had to fight to stop herself from laughing and she nodded seriously. " Oh dear," she said, " leave it with me, I'll take care of it. She's not going to be punished for this, is she? You know how things have been. "

Eddie nodded, " I'll take care of it - I'll tell Rachel. She won't be in any trouble. "

Becky nodded, " Leave it with me, I'll look after her. "

When Eddie had gone, Becky went to get a glass of water from the water machine in the corner of her office. She sat down on the edge of the sofa and smiled at Mika, " Come on," she said gently, when Mika had drunk the water, " why don't you have a little lie down? "

Mika nodded, feeling comfortable in the presence of her almost-aunt and feeling a splitting headache coming on. She groaned and rested her head against one of the fluffy cushions, closing her eyes.

Becky sighed and laid a hand on the teenager's back gently, " Not your day, sweetie," she said softly, " how much did you have to drink? "

Mika sighed, " Bottle of vodka. Tom's going to kill me. "

" He's not," Becky promised, " we both know you've had it hard. It's going to be ok. "

" He'll go mad," Mika said.

Becky smiled a little and shook her head, " It's nothing Tom hasn't done before - I'll stick up for you, sweetie, if Tom needs reminding that he got himself in a similar state many times at your age. "

Mika smiled a little and closed her eyes just as the door opened.

Rachel came into the office with a slight smile on her face, Eddie following her, as she looked at Mika sympathetically, before looking at Becky. " has she told you what she drunk? "

Becky winced, " A bottle of vodka. "

Eddie sighed, " I'll give Tom a ring. "

Rachel nodded as Eddie turned to leave, " You can go give the prizes out to the 6th form, I'll stay with Becky and Mika. "

Eddie left the room, Rachel looked down at Mika, who was sighing as she closed her eyes again.

" You'll be ok," Rachel told Mika, " you might have a sore head in the moring but we've all been there, I'm sure. "

" I'm so sorry," Mika said, shaking her head and starting to sit up, making Becky slide the hand on her back, around her shoulders.

Rachel shook her head, " Hey, it's ok. "

Mika groaned, " I'm such an idiot ... I can't believe it. "

" It's ok," Becky said softly, with the kind of maternal instincts that she'd picked up from having Maxine around all the time. She exchanged a quick look with Rachel and then allowed a smile to cross her face, " anyway, we've got some good news, Mika. "

Mika looked at her expectatly, and Becky grined.

" We've found Chlo. Tom's gone to fetch her. "

Mika let out a little shriek and threw her arms around Becky and Becky laughed as she hugged the girl. Rachel smiled and decided she'd leave the girls alone, and left the office.

Becky smiled at Mika, " Come on," she said, " get a drink. "

Mika nodded and accepted a glass of water from her, drinking it down quickly. They sat together and Mika spoke about her hopes that she and Chlo would make up.

When it had been about ten minutes, Becky stood up. The bell had just rung and she smiled, " Come on sweeite - shall we go wait outside for them? They'll be here any minute, I'm sure. "

Mika nodded and Becky locked up her office and the pair of them started down the corridor.

" Becky! "

Becky turned around to see Maxine and Janeece.

" Hey you two," she said, hugging Maxine briefly, " how did you get on with your project? "

" Oh we didn't win," Maxine said, shaking her head, " but it doesn't matter now. " She looked at Mika, " how are you? "

Mika grinned, " I'm alright. Tom's gone to get Chlo back! "

Maxine laughed and she and Janeece pulled Mika into a big hug, where the three of them shrieked in excitement.

" Come on you lot," Becky said, " he'll be back soon. "

They went into the school car park. They'd only been stood waiting together for a few minutes when the car started to drive through the car park.

Becky held her breath as she watched the car come closer and closer.

She saw Tom behind the wheel and she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Chlo in the passenger seat. As soon as the car stopped, Chlo got out and ran at Mika, who was already running towards her.

Becky felt like crying at the scene in front of her and she was so relieved that her almost-niece was found safe - she always felt so maternal towards the two girls. She walked forwards slowly, and Tom did too.

He gathered Becky up in his arms before she could say a word and she could feel exactly how relieved he was. She kissed his cheek, " Well done Tommy," she said.

He grinned and when they broke apart, and he went to stand behind the girls, who were both crying as they hugged tightly. He wrapped his arms around them and pulled them into his chest.

Chlo reached out with a hand, looking over her shoulder at Becky, and Becky smiled and went to join the hug, as Tom breathed of sigh of relief at having his family back together, motioning for Maxine and Janeece to join them.

**Author's Note: I'm considering having Becky find out she's pregnant because she and Jack spoke about having kids, and that bringing Jack back into her life as they discuss it, and making it lead up to a reunion because we all know they've got to have a reunion at some point, and I think they'd make pretty great parents.**

**But I don't know if I actually want her to have a baby just yet. I also don't know if it's too depressing to make her pregnant just to make her have a miscarriage. **

**Any ideas on whether Becky should be pregnant or just any ideas of what you might like to see, are very welcome.**


	10. Trying to Move On

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Author's Note: I think I'm going to go down the route of having Becky find out she's pregnant, spend the rest of the school year pregnant and have the baby around the time of the end of school year fire. **

**Jack might make a brief appearance in the story line about the dead baby and Maxine, and if I do decide to have Becky pregnant, Jack would reappear when she tells him she's pregnant but wouldn't be around much during the pregnancy. I think his proper return will be at the end of school year, and for series 4 (which i'm hoping to write as a seperate story) jack might be working as a headteacher of another school in the area, or maybe as a regular history teacher at Waterloo road. Let me know if there's anything in this that you like the idea of or have any thoughts on.**

Chapter Ten

Three days later, Becky hadn't adjusted.

She still couldn't believe that Rachel was here and hadn't really warmed to her. She thought Rachel had too many idea about changing the school and didn't seem to be getting to know the school properly, but she reluctantly had to admit that Rachel seemed to want to succeed here.

Becky was thinking about Jack more and more and it was impossible to get him out of her mind. She started to wonder if she hadn't made a huge mistake in splitting up with him. It had been so right at the time but she wondered if she hadn't gotten it wrong.

She was determined to get over him - she was so fed up of being hung up on him and she thought she might be able to move on if she could meet other people and find someone new.

She'd been doing everything she could to wipe Jack out of her mind and as she came into the staffroom that morning, she sat down beside Tom.

He looked at her in suprise and narrowed his eyes, " Everything alright? " he asked her.

She shook her head, " Tired. "

He frowned. He knew exactly why she was tired - he could recognise the signs of a hangover from a mile off when it came to his little sister.

She rolled her eyes and looked down.

" Becky," he said, shaking his head. He leaned forward in his seat and lowered his voice, deciding this was not a matter for the rest of the staffroom to hear, " I don't think you should be going out and getting drunk when you're working the next day. "

" I didn't go out," she said, biting her lip - a sure sign that she was nervous and she knew he was right.

He narrowed his eyes and she sighed.

" Fine. I _might _have had a few glasses of wine while I was watching the telly last night," she replied defensively, " but I'm going through a tough time. "

Tom sighed, " You broke up with Jack two weeks ago, Becky, you can't suddenly start reacting badly to it. You ... you need to ... you can't ... I'm sorry Becky, but I just don't think it's a good idea to start drinking to make yourself feel better. It could lead somewhere ... you know ... "

She narrowed her eyes, " You think I've got a drink problem? " she hissed.

He laughed and shook his head, " Becky, I'm not having a go. I _do not _think you've got a drink problem. I'm just saying, please don't drink a load of wine before you're due to come to work because I'm worried it's not good for you. "

She sighed and he shook his head again, " I don't want to fall out," he said, " I'm just saying, it's not the right way to deal with a break up. Drinking just leads to a hangover. "

" Don't pretend you've never gotten drunk," she scoffed, feeling more relaxed now she realised he wasn't attacking her.

He laughed, " I know, I know, but ... well, you know what I'm trying to say. Don't come to work looking hungover because Rachel will kill you. "

A moment later, they were joined by Davina and Jasmine and they dropped the conversation. Becky knew that her brother had nothing but her best interests in mind.

The same day, Becky went into the staffroom at lunch and sat down with Jasmine and Davina. She looked around the room and her eyes fell on a man standing by the kettle.

He was tall, blonde and rather good looking.

" Hey, who's that? " Becky asked the other two women quietly.

Jasmine smirked a little, " Supply teacher - he's been covering Matt's lessons while he's been on that course. "

" Kind of cute, isn't he? " Becky grinned. She thought the guy was good looking - he wasn't the best looking guy she'd ever seen and she didn't know anything about him but he was a guy and she thought he might be able to take her mind off Jack.

" Well go over there and talk to him," Davina suggested.

" Yeah," Jasmine nodded, " maybe you could go for a drink with him ... or something. "

" No," Becky laughed, " I can't. "

Davia shrugged, " Why not? Just go over there under the pretence of making a cuppa, then you can just start talking. "

Becky considered it for a moment but then she nodded, " Yeah. Sure, I can go talk to him. "

She got up and went over there.

Just as she got there, Tom entered the staffroom and he sat down in the place Becky had just vacated. He looked across the room and he saw Becky standing in the kitchen area.

He recognised the supply teacher and watched curiously as Becky and the supply teacher spoke. He watched Becky laugh and reach out to lay her hand on the supply teacher's upper arm as they spoke.

Tom raised his eyebrows, " Woah, Becky's on the prowl," he said, " is she after that guy? "

Jasmine shrugged, " She's just trying to move on. "

Tom nodded wordlessly and he watched as Becky ran her hand down his arm and the supply teacher looked at her with a dazzling smile. Tom narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and a few moments later, Becky was walking towards them.

She was smiling, and she frowned a little at Tom sitting in the seat she'd just vacated. He shifted in his seat a bit, moving over, and she sat on the arm of the chair, leaning against him.

" So," he said, " what was all that about? "

She rolled her eyes, " Don't go all protective big brother on me," she said, " he's got my phone number - he's gonna call me," she said.

Tom nodded, " You like him then? "

She shrugged " I don't know him that well," she told him, " but it'd be nice to try and find someone new. "

Tom shook his head, " You don't have to force yourself," he said.

She smiled, " Tom, I want to move on," she told him, " can't wallow after Jack forever. "

He sighed and rubbed her arm, in a sort of comforting way. She smiled at his efforts.

The next day, Becky had more or less forgotten about the supply teacher from the day before and she wasn't too bothered - he still had her number and he could call if he wanted but she found herself completely not caring about him.

He was just one man and she was determined to move on from Jack. She was sure it wouldn't take her long to find somebody else.

She was sure that she needed to find someone new, and if she did, she'd be able to stop thinking about Jack so much.

Becky went into the staffroom at break time and she smiled as she stopped near Tom, who was reading the newspaper. " Want a cuppa? " she asked him, pointing at the kettle.

He nodded, " Cheers darlin'. "

As Becky went over to the kitchen area she flicked the kettle on. She made herself and Tom a drink and as she turned around, almost walked into a man she didn't recognise.

He stepped back, " Sorry," he said, shaking his head.

She smiled, " That's alright. "

" I don't believe we've met," he said, sticking out his hand.

She laughed and put both of the drinks down on the worktop and offered out her hand in return. They exchanged names and instead of shaking her hand he raised it to his lips and kissed it.

He wasn't even that good looking but she really felt like she needed a new man to make her forget all about Jack, even though deep down she knew that was stupid.

They spoke for a minute or so and she found out that he was covering in the languages department. When there was a pause, Becky looked at the cups of tea sitting on the worktop and smiled, " I guess I'll see you around," she said.

He nodded, " Will you be in the pub after work? " he asked, " only, I hear a lot of staff go there after work, and since it's a friday ... "

She nodded, " Yeah, yeah I will. "

He grinned, " Maybe I'll see you there. "

She smiled, " Guess you will. "

As she went to sit down, and as she handed Tom his cup of tea, he frowned at her.

" Second guy in two days," he commented.

She narrowed her eyes, " What's that supposed to mean? "

He shrugged, " I'm just saying - you seem to be very popular all of a sudden. "

She sighed, " I'm just trying to move on Tommy, I don't see what's so wrong with that. "

Tom looked at his little sister and he thought about it, " Are you meeting up with that guy from yesterday? Or ... well ... that guy over there, who seemed pretty taken with you? "

He was rather uncomfortable having a discussion about his sisters love life but he wanted to know what she was getting herself into. She shrugged, " Guy from yesterday can call if he wants, but I'm not too bothered if he doesn't. And i just told that guy I'd be in the pub so I might see him there, might not. You coming to the pub tonight? "

Tom sighed, " I don't know darlin'," he said, shrugging.

" Come on," she said, " I've had a rubbish week, help me make it better. "

He sighed, " Alright, alright. " He felt that if he kept an eye on her, she'd be alright. He had a feeling that she'd be going down the wrong path very soon, and he thought he'd have to keep an eye on her to keep her in line.

She grinned.

After work, they walked to the pub together, and they sat down at a table in the corner, where they were soon joined by Jasmine, Matt and Davina.

Maxine had gone to Janeece's, and Becky just felt so glad to have a break from the school and be able to try and forget about everything. She still missed Jack so much and she thought she'd be able to get over him if she just found someone - anyone - else.

A couple of hours later, Becky was rather drunk.

Tom went to the toilet and as he did, Becky looked around.

Her eyes settled on a rather good looking guy by the bar, and when Tom returned from the toilets, he looked around to see Becky stood by the bar. She was talking to some guy and her hand was resting on his arm. Tom's eyes narrowed when he realised this man had got his hands on his little sister's bum.

Tom stormed over there and he tapped on Becky's shoulder.

Becky turned around and she grinned when she saw him, until he clamped his arm around her upper arm and tugged her away from the man. He practically dragged her out of the pub, his hand clamped tightly around her arm, and once they were outside, he let go of her, looking at her in digust.

" _What _is your problem? " Becky asked, rubbing at her arm.

Tom shook his head, " You! For god's sake Becky, you're a disgrace. "

" You what? " she demanded, slurring as she pointed a finger at him.

" Just look at yourself," he said, " you're in there acting like some cheap little slut, all over anyone you can find. Are you _that _desperate to find someone new that you'll give anyone the time of day? "

She narrowed her eyes, fast sobering up in the heat of the argument, although the drink was fuelling it, " Is that what you think of me? You think I'm a ... a slut? "

" No! " he said quickly, fast regretting his choice of words, " I think you need to think about what you're doing. "

She shook her head, " No. No, I see what you think now. I thought you understood that I was just trying to move on. "

" There's a bloody difference between trying to move on, and putting yourself out there for any pasing bloke," he said, unable to help his voice from rising, " I mean, you're almost 30 years old Rebecca, you're a school teacher with a teenage daughter! Have some respect for yourself! "

" I don't need to be spoken to like this," she said, " what gives you the right to talk to me like this? Just ... if you don't have anything nice to say then ... well ... "

" Well," he nodded.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before turning on her heel and walking away from him. She went home, thinking about how annoyed she was at Tom now, and wishing more than ever that she'd got Jack back to look after her.

The next day at the school she braved through a management meeting, pretending like she didn't have a splitting headache, and she insisted to Maxine that she was fine, not wanting the girl to worry.

She avoided the staffroom at break, not wanting to see Tom, and she couldn't face it at lunch either. She was starting to feel like everything was against her and she felt like she was close to breaking down.

Near the end of lunch there was a knock at her classroom door and the door opened without her giving an answer.

She looked up from the book she'd been reading and she smiled when she saw Matt, though she was quite suprised.

" Hey," he said with a sympathetic smile.

She sighed, " Hi, Matt. "

" Just thought I'd come and see how you're doing," he said, " I gather you've had an argument with Tom and I know you've been really down lately. You're avoiding everyone else because you've fallen out with Tom? "

She shrugged, standing up, " I just ... I don't know what's going on with me lately, and then Tom said some pretty nasty things, and I ... well, I don't know. "

He felt sorry for her and he smiled a little, " Wanna go out and get pissed tonight? "

She laughed and Matt grinned, " I'm serious," he said, " seems like you could do with some cheering up, and I feel duty bound to provide it. "

She smiled, " That's very nice of you. "

" I'm not taking no for an answer," he said, " if there's one thing I'm good at, it's cheering people up. "

She nodded, " Guess I can't take no for an answer, can I? "

He grinned, " I'm going to take you out and we can forget all about everything else - you just need cheering up, yeah? "

She shrugged, " I don't know if ... well ... guess it could be fun. "

Matt arranged to meet her at the local pub, where they could then progress onto other places - Matt promised her a friday night out, and he promised her he'd make it loads of fun.

After work, Becky went home and a couple of hours later, she was ready to go out.

" Oh, Maxy I feel bad for leaving you on your own, while I go out," she said, shaking her head as she came into the living room, " is it terrible of me to leave you on your own? "

Maxine laughed,looking up from her magazine, " Becky, I'm 17, I'm sure I'll be fine. "

Becky sighed, " Even so ... I feel mean. Maybe you wanna invite Janeece around and I'll chuck you some money for a takeaway? "

" It's ok," Maxine said, " I'm just gonna chill out and watch a few dvds or something. You look great, by the way. You on the pull? "

" Maxine! " Becky said, shaking her head as she pulled out her house keys from her handbag, " I most certainly am not! I'm having a night out with a friend. " She resisted the urge to add that she and the other staff had a strong suspicion that he was gay, because Matt hadn't actually told anyone he was, and she didn't want to out him to everyone.

Maxine shrugged, " Well, you look good. I'll catch you later. "

Becky smiled and she crossed the room, enveloping Maxine into a big hug.

She said goodbye to Maxine and when she left, found Matt waiting at the bottom of the drive for her. She smiled and he leant in to kiss her cheek by way of greeting as she got to him, and he held out his hand.

" Ready to have fun? " he asked, as she took his hand.

" Yeah," she nodded as he pulled her towards the taxi he'd come by in.

They spent hours in town and Matt forced her to forget about everything else by dancing away and having fun. Becky was thoroughly glad he'd invited her out, and at the end of the night, they were sharing a taxi home.

Both were very drunk by now, and when they got to Becky's house, well after midnight, Matt told the taxi driver he'd get out here - he didn't live far away and decided he'd walk the rest of the distance.

" Well," Becky said, stumbling a little as she looked at the front door and tried to get there, " thank you for a very good night out. "

" You ... you ... you're welcome," Matt nodded, equally drunk.

When she got to the front door, Becky turned around to face him to find that he was stood quite close to her. She smiled as she looked up at him and something came over her.

She was so desperate to try and forget Jack, and she reached out to touch his cheek with one hand. Before she knew what was happening, she was pulling Matt's face down to meet hers, and there was no resistance from him.

He was probably even more drunk than she was and he kissed her. Matt moved forwards a little, pinning her to the door and he wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her quite deeply. She sighed into the kiss and kissed back but as she did so, she started to realise how wrong this was.

The last person to kiss her outside this house - and inside it - was Jack. She was snogging Matt - who she thought was gay - outside a house given to her by Jack.

She shook her head and laid her hands on Matt's chest, pushing him off a little.

She sighed heavily and she closed her eyes.

" Matt," she said, shaking her head, " this is ... this isn't right. God, I'm such a mess. "

" No," Matt said, reaching out to touch her cheek.

She shook her head as she opened her eyes and looked at him, pushing his hand away softly, " It's not right. I'm all over the place - I'm ... I'm just ... I've been trying to move on from Jack and maybe ... maybe this isn't the way to do it ... I ... we ... "

Matt nodded.

Both of them were starting to sober up and Matt could hardly believe what they'd just done.

" I guess I'll see you monday," he said awkwardly.

Becky felt like an idiot as she went into the house, and she stumbled up to bed, mentally cursing at herself. On Monday, Becky got out of the car at school, and Maxine frowned at her.

" What's up? " she asked.

Becky shook her head, " It's just ... well, I've got to make up with Tom today, I think, and it might be a little awkward, and well ... don't you worry about it. Have a good day, sweetie. "

Maxine smiled, " It'll be alright, you know. " She knew full well that her foster mother wasn't over jack, even if she wasn't sure whether she should say so.

Becky shrugged, " I don't know. Never mind about me though - how about we go out for a meal after school? Or maybe to the cinema, and then a bit to eat. Just you and me, eh? "

" I'd like that," Maxine said.

Becky and Maxine went their seperate ways, and Becky went up to the staffroom first thing.

Over the weekend she'd been thinking, and she'd decided that the way she was trying to get over Jack was just too much. She'd realised that she didn't need anyone new - she'd just have to get on with her life and make the best out of the situation.

The last thing she wanted was for Maxine to think she was going off the rails, and to go telling Jack. She didn't want Jack to think she couldn't cope without him.

She wanted her brother back and she walked up to the staffroom.

As she went into the staffroom, she saw him from across the room - he was stood in the kitchen area with his back to the door.

She walked across the room quietly and she smiled a little as she got closer. She slid her arms around his waist and hugged him from behind, and he jumped, startled. She loosened her arms so he could turn around and he grinned at her.

" Hey darlin'," he said as she buried her face against him and hugged him tightly.

He smiled a little at the way his little sister was so needy and always wanted her big brother. He slowly wrapped his arms around her too and smiled.

" Are we talking again, then? " he asked.

She nodded, clinging to him.

They hugged for a long few moments, and when they broke apart, Tom said, " Everything alright between us, then? "

She sighed, " This is the last time," she said, " I don't want to fall out again. "

" Me neither," he said, " and I'm sorry for what I said. Are you ... are you ok now? "

She pulled a face, " If you mean, have I stopped throwing myself at everyone, then yeah? But if you mean, am I over Jack, then no, and I don't think I will be. I certainly can't force it, anyway. Listen, you were ... you were right. I was being stupid, and I'm ... I won't ... well, you were right. "

He smiled, " Does it hurt, to say that? "

She shrugged and he laughed.

Both of them were just glad to be getting on again.

Becky was free first thing, and she sat in her office. It was a week to the day since Jack had left, and two weeks since they'd split up. She was still feeling down but she threw herself into her work that morning, hoping it'd make it all better for her.

She looked up when she heard the office door, and she saw Matt walking in.

She felt herself blushing and she looked down before looking back up.

" Hi," she said.

" Thought we should talk," he said, crossing his arms over his chest as he came into the office.

" There's no need," Becky said, " I think we both know that I made a fool out of myself by kissing you and ... well, it shouldn't have happened. "

" That's just it," Matt said, " I wanted to make sure things aren't awkward between us - we both know it was only because we were drunk. "

She nodded, " Course it was. "

He nodded, " You're on the rebound, and I'm ... well ... I'd had a big argument with my partner. It ... it shouldn't have happened. " After a pause, he added, " I'm gay, Becky. " He shook his head, " it feels good to tell someone, you know? "

She smiled a little, " I think we all sort of suspected anyway. "

He laughed, " Listen," he said, " I know how hard you've had it recently and I was thinking, maybe we could be friends. I don't see why we couldn't be great mates - you're a laugh, we're about the same age, lets put a silly drunken kiss behind us and be friends. "

She grinned, " Thanks, Matt. "


	11. Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Eleven

Four weeks had passed

It was now 5 weeks since Rachel Mason had become headmistress and Jack had left, and 6 since she'd split up with Jack. 6 weeks since she'd last been curled up in his arms, curled up in bed with him.

She still found herself missing him and found herself wondering if they'd made a huge mistake - if she shouldn't have forgiven him for cheating on her and taken him back.

She hadn't seen him since that day after he resigned from Waterloo Road, when they met to discuss Maxine, and her having the house.

Maxine was spending every other weekend with him.

Jack was settled in Leeds with a flat, and had kept to his promise of seeing Maxine, who he loved, all the time. Becky didn't want to see him - she was sure that if she saw him, she'd fall apart.

Maxine had been getting the train to go see Jack, with Becky seeing her off at the train station and Jack meeting her on the platform at Leeds.

Becky got out of the car at school that day and said goodbye to Maxine.

She knew there was a school trip going out that day. Eddie had planned a trip while Jack was still headmaster, taking Bolton and some of the more difficult boys on a three day trip.

Rachel had been rather opposed to it in management meetings because she felt like it wouldn't do any good, but she'd let it go ahead since it was already booked.

Becky found herself not liking Rachel - she knew it was mostly her being irrational because she wanted jack to be headmaster again but she couldn't help thinking that all Rachel's big ideas were out of place - the school didn't need everything that Rachel wanted to do.

She felt like Rachel didn't understand the kids at the school.

Becky was really trying to move on but she'd had to accept that Jack would always be a big part of her life, and she wouldn't be able to forget about him in a hurry.

Becky knew that Tom and Davina had been forced into going on the trip, and instead of going into the school, she walked around to the other side of the car park, where the school miibus was parked.

Eddie was getting the kids onto the minibus, and Becky grinned as she saw her brother standing there in his waterproof coat and cargopants and trainers.

" Look at you," she laughed as she walked over to him, " looking forward to it? "

" You having a laugh? " he scoffed, watching the kids get onto the minibus and shaking his head.

" What's up? " she asked, " is this whole "going on a camping trip with the worst behaved boys in the school" thing not something you're looking forward to? "

He rolled his eyes, " You're telling me _you'd _like to spend two nights with Bolton Smilie and his mates? "

She laughed, " Try not to miss me too much, won't you? "

He laughed too, " I'm sure I'll manage. "

He stepped closer to her and he said, " Look after my girls while I'm gone, won't you? "

" It's only a couple of days," she told him, " I'm sure they'll manage - they're good girls, Tom, and what's more, they're 17 and 18 years old. "

" I know, I know, but if you could just keep an eye on them ... "

She nodded, " Course I will. You're going to be fine you know - at least Davina's going to be there, and she's sane, even if you _are _lumbered with Grantly too. "

The kids were all on the minibus and Tom shrugged, " I'd better get going. "

" Good luck. "

Tom nodded and he reached out and pulled her into a big hug. She sighed as she hugged him back tightly, and when they broke apart, he looked at her with narrowed eyes.

" Everything alright? " he asked suspiciously.

She nodded.

He frowned, " You sure, because you look kind of ... pale ... you know? Sorta tired too. "

She shrugged, " I was a bit sick this morning, but it was nothing too bad. I'm ok," she insisted, " must of just been something I ate last night I guess. "

She'd dismissed her sudden vomiting this morning as nothing because she felt fine afterwards, so it surely couldn't have been anything serious.

Tom nodded, though he knew there was little he could do.

Tom rubbed her arm in sympathy, " You were sick? You sure you're alright? "

" I'm fine," she said, " you can't fuss over me forever. "

" Course I can, darlin'," he said, seriously " that's what big brothers are for. You look after yourself then. See you in a few days. "

She said a goodbye to him after pecking his cheek, and then walked into the school.

Becky walked into school and she ran her hands through her hair - now that Tom mentioned it, she realised she had been rather tired over the last couple of days but she supposed that's all it was - she had a busy job and had been under a lot of stress. She was bound to be a bit tired.

As she walked towards her classroom she heard a voice.

" Rebecca! "

She spun around and she grinned when she saw her godson.

" Donte! " she grinned, as he stopped in front of her - he'd just been allowed back after his suspension for battering Eddie's car up, after his split with Chlo.

" Good to be back? " she asked him.

He sighed, " I'm not that happy about having to come back and do some work, but suppose everyone's got to go to school haven't they? I was starting to think they might never let me come back. "

Becky smiled, " It was only ever a suspension, sweetie. "

Donte shook his head, " Rimmer and Lawson would have strung me up if it hadn't been for you. I bet you had something to do with me coming back, didn't you? "

She shrugged, and he laughed.

" Thanks Becky," he said, " nice to know I've got my favourite godmother looking out for me. "

" I didn't know you _had _multiple godmothers," she said, shaking her head, " but don't worry about it - you'll always have me to fight your corner. Got to look after your own. "

He smiled, " Thanks, Becky. "

She grinned, " I think you'd better get to registration, Donte. And _please _behave yourself. "

" Don't I always? " he asked.

" _No_, you don't," she said, shaking his head, " I think you need to keep yourself out of trouble, keep your head down, eh? Don't go getting into fights with Brett, or - "

" Hey, hey, I won't," Donte insisted, " I'm not going to waste any time on that idiot, believe me. "

" And Chlo? "

Donte shook his head, " Me and her are over. Over. "

Becky sighed - she knew he didn't really believe that and she nodded. " Well, like I said, behave yourself today, sweetie, and I'll see you ... well, I think I've got you 5th lesson. "

Donte nodded and they went their seperate ways.

Becky sat on the edge of her desk first lesson as she taught a revision lesson to her year 11 class on the unit of work they'd just finished. She pulled her cardigan tighter around her, trying to protect herself against the november chill that had settled all around them.

She'd always loved winter but it wasn't the same without Jack around.

She taught a lesson revising the entire unit and her class were very happy by the time they left.

Her lessons were always fun and different and she always got the entire class engaged. She was the kind of teacher that everyone respected and everyone liked.

Once her class had left, she went up to the staffroom. She made herself a drink and went to sit down. She looked around the staffroom - Tom and Davina were away on the trip and Jasmine was sat down with Steph. They were looking through Matt's script for the musical, which Matt had asked Jasmine to edit, and Becky had no desire to go anywhere near Steph.

She and Steph were hardly the best of friends thanks to Steph's actions with Jack, but Becky had no desire to argue with the other woman. She was fed up, and they mostly just stayed out of each others ways, and spoke with a very controlled civil manner if they ever had to interact.

She pulled the latest copy of her favourite magazine out of her bag and as she opened it up, her attention was caught by the chair opposite her being filled by Matt.

" All alone? " he asked her.

She shrugged, " Well, you know, Tom away on the trip, Davina too. " She shook her head, " Never mind me, anyway. How's the musical coming along? "

" Well," he sighed, " rehearsals are a bit of a disaster, just trying to get everyone pulled together, but we'll get there. Should be ready by the end of term. "

She smiled, " Good. It'll be a nice thing for the end of the term. Just what everyone'll need to end the term on a high before Christmas. "

" If I haven't gone mad by then," he scoffed.

She shook her head, " You want to take in a teenage girl, then you'll go mad. "

Matt laughed, " Maxine isn't that bad, is she? "

Becky laughed, " Course she's not ... it's ... well, she just knows her own mind. Spends hours getting ready to go out, and then she'll have to get changed ten times before we can leave the hosue, has to be forced to do her homework, won't ever lower her music down. Tells me all these long compliated stories about people I don't even _know._ "

" Yeah but you wouldn't change her, would you? " Matt asked.

Becky smiled, " No, no I wouldn't. "

" D'you want to come around to mine tomorrow night? " Matt asked, " only, I thought you might want to come around and meet Colin. One of his friend is coming over too - old friend of his from school. "

She smiled - Matt had only actually told her and Steph out of the staff that he was gay, although the others all suspected. " Matt, I love to come and meet Colin. It's so great that you feel we're good enough friend for me to meet him and ... oh, hang on. " She narrowed her eyes, " is this friend of Colin's straight? "

" Um ... yeah," Matt replied.

" Is this some kind of set up? " she asked, " blind date? "

Matt didn't answer but the look on his face said it all. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, " Matt, I really don't want to be set up. "

Matt had become her very good friend over the last couple of weeks, and he was already friends with Tom since they were in the same department.

" Come on," he said, " it's been weeks since you split up with Jack. What's the harm in a little blind date? "

" No way," she said, " I tried to go on a date last week - Jasmine set me up with someone, but it was terrible. I just spent the entire time comparing him to Jack. It was wrong... I shouldn't have ... I can't be doing with it. I can't go out with anyone else. I'm sick of it. "

" So you're ... what? Never going to go out with another man again? " he asked, confused.

" No," she said quickly, " that's ridiculous. I ... well, I'm going to go out with Tom, and you. "

Matt laughed, " Right," he said, " and are you ever going to go out on a proper date? You're going to live like a nun because you've lost Jack. "

Becky sighed and shook her head, " Look, I'm just having a rest. I need a break, I think. What Jack and I had ... god, it was great. I can't rush that. "

Matt nodded, " So you ... you're not up for a blind date? "

" Nice try," she said, " but no. "

He shook his head, " Well, I tried. "

" I really would like to meet Colin sometime though," she said enthusiastically.

Matt nodded, " Sure, sure. "

Later in the day, Becky passed Mika in the corridor and Mika and she and Chlo would like to see Becky - it felt like they hadn't spent any time with their "aunt" in a while, and Becky agreed, offering to come around and cook dinner that night, with Tom away.

Becky was in her office after school, picking up a few things from her office when Rachel came in.

" Hi," she said, smilig briefly.

Becky nodded, wondering what the headmistress wanted, " Everything alright? " she asked.

Rachel pulled a face, " Not quite. It turns out that Eddie's little trip hasn't turned out as well as he'd hoped. They're all on their way home - they can't stay there any more. "

" What's happened? " Becky asked, her thoughts immediately flying to Tom - Tom was the only family she had other than Maxine and she had to know that he was alright.

" Well," Rachel said, " everyone's coming back mostly uninjured, it's alright. It seems that the lads were on some kind of trail around the mountains - team building. Bolton was playing silly sods and pretending to be stuck down the mountain. Eddie went after him to help, and fell. He's broken his wrist and he's wearing a neck brace but he'll survive. They've had to come home though - Eddie wouldn't risk keeping them out there any longer, and the company who were guiding them wouldn't let them stay either. "

" Oh dear," Becky said, shaking her head, " I know how much Eddie wanted this to be a success. "

" They should be back in a couple of hours," Rachel said, " although I'm sort of looking forward to telling him I knew all along that it wouldn't be a success. "

Becky raised her eyebrows, " I take it there'll be no more trips like this? "

" Not on my watch," Rachel said, " I just thought you ought to know. I'll be getting Bolton in in the morning for a severe talking to but well ... that's all we can do for now. "

" Well when you see, just telling him I'm glad he's alright," Becky said.

Rachel nodded - the pair of them had very little to talk about - they had nothing in common other than their place of work and Becky found it highly unlikely that they'd be bonding anytime soon.

" I'll see you tomorrow, Miss Clarkson," Rachel said, before leaving the office.

Becky nodded, " Miss Mason. "

After work, she went around to Tom's, and Maxine went with her. She decided not to tell the girls about Tom coming home, to keep it a suprise and as she went into the house she shouted, " Hey kids, I'm here! "

Both of them came out of the living room and Mika grinned.

" We were going to put a dvd on," she said.

Becky nodded, " Sure. What're we watching? "

Chlo looked at Maxine, " Something with Johnny Depp in? "

" Absolutely," Maxine said.

Becky grinned - she loved spending time with the girls and they always felt like her friends more than anything else, but she loved being able to look after them, because she was feeling a strong maternal instinct recently. It started with Maxine, and extended to Donte and the girls.

" Go stick the dvd on," she said, " I'll get us something to snack on while we're at it, and I'll make us some tea afterwards, yeah? "

" We'll have to do it upstairs," Mika said, " dvd player's dodgy down here. "

As the girls went off upstairs, Becky went into the kitchen and as she looked through the cupboards she was quite happy to find a couple of big bags of doritos and some salsa dip.

She took them and put them all in bowls and then started up the stairs.

She grinned when she went into Mika's bedroom and saw the film on.

" Ooh Johnny Depp," she sighed, " lovely. "

She handed the crisps and dip around and sat down on the bedroom floor between Chlo and Maxine, while Mika sat on the bed.

They chatted away as they watched the film and the conversation soon turned to school a while later. As the girls started to slag off their french teacher, Becky intervened. She gently reprimanded them and as they talked, Becky heard footstpes on the landing.

They'd been so embroiled in conversation and the film that none of them had heard it, and the bedroom door was pushed open.

" Why isn't my tea on the table? "

All four turned to look and Tom was standing there with his usual cheeky grin.

" You're back! " Mika grinned, getting off the bed to go hug him, at the same time that Chlo did. he laughed as he hugged them both and he shook his head.

" Only just! " he said dramatically, " I have stared death in the face today. "

Becky laughed, " You have _not," _she said, standing up and moving towards him.

" And what would you know about it? " he teased, " might have known you'd be around here trying to be a bad influence on my girls. "

" I was going to cook tea," she told him, " but you've had it now. "

He laughed and reached out to mess up her hair.


	12. Archaeological Dig

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twelve

Four days later it was Friday, and Becky walked into the staffroom before school. It was just another at at Waterloo Road, and as she walked through the staffroom, she saw the same teachers sitting in the same places.

She saw Tom standing in the kitchen area and she smiled as she walked over. He was standing around with Jasmine, Matt and Davina.

When she reached then, he held out a cup of coffee.

She smiled gratefully, " Thanks," she said, as she came to stand with her friends. They were already talking about Matt's musical, and the trouble he was having trying to get Brett and Mika to get on.

Becky was only half listening to the conversation, and she didn't notice when the conversation had turned to her. She was far away, thinking about something she'd realised the night before. .

" Becks? "

She snapped out of her trance and looked up at her brother, who was the only person to ever really call her "Becks." " Sorry, what? " she asked him, shaking her head in apology.

He smiled fondly, " Jasmine just asked you about the archaeological dig," he told her.

Becky smiled and she looked at Jasmine, " Sorry," she said, " yeah, the dig is today. And lucky me, I've got Grantly to keep me company. "

The others all scoffed.

" What's the point of this ... digging around in the school fields ... thing? " Matt asked.

Becky shrugged, " Well, it was something Karla started, what with her new passion for archaeology and fossils. "

Davina nodded, taking a sip from her coffee, " Well, you know what she's like once she's got an idea in her head, and when Rachel got wind of it she decided it would be really great for the pupils toget involved and do something outside their studies. "

" How come Grantly's involved? " Matt asked, frowning.

Becky shrugged, " Well, Rachel decided that if one class of year twelves were involved, we should get more involved. I get to oversee it as a member of the history department and Grantly has year 12 first thing too, so he's just been roped in. I think Rachel's organised some cover for my year eights first lesson. "

" D'you think you'll find anything? " Davina asked.

Becky was about to reply, but she started to feel ill. She closed her mouth and paused, laying her hand over her stomach. " I ... I'm sorry," she said. A sudden wave of nausea gripped her and she said, " Excuse me. "

This wasn't the first time it happened this week, and she turned on her heel and left the staffroom.

She felt terrible, and the nausea took over, driving her to hurry to the staff toilets, which were luckily only a few doors away from the staffroom. She emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet as she knelt on the cold hard floor.

When she was finished, she sighed heavily, wiping away the sweat that had formed on her forehead.

It had happened three times this week, and she knew exactly what was going on, even if she was too scared to do anything about it. She'd sort of suspected that she might be pregnant the first time she was sick, and after the second time, she was more sure.

When she looked through her drawers she realised she hadn't used any tampons in over a month. She was pretty sure she must be pregnant and that was something she couldn't deal with.

Her period was a few weeks late, and she realised the last time she and Jack would have been together was six weeks ago. Jack had been gone 5 weeks to the day, now, and it was 6 weeks to the day that they'd split up. They were solid until they'd split up, so the latest it could have been was 6 weeks ago.

She was at least 6 weeks gone.

She hadn't done a test, but she knew. There was no way she couldn't be - the missed period, the morning sickness.

She couldn't believe it.

She and Jack and talked about having kids and agreed that they were going to have children at some point. Becky had always thought he'd make an amazing father and she'd loved the thought of having a child with him.

The thought of being pregnant was so confusing, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to get rid of it, because she knew if Jack was still around they'd have coped - they might not have planned it for right now, but they'd have muddled through and had the baby. She didn't feel like she could get rid of it because Jack wasn't around - it was still a baby, after all. She still had a chance to be a mum.

But it meant bringing Jack back into her life and she didn't know if she was strong enough for that.

She worried it might bring up too much if she had to bring him back into her life. It would be so complicated - she wasn't sure how she felt, but she'd never lived the thought of having an abortion. Not when it was killing a baby. And what if this was her only chance - she worried if she got rid of this baby, there'd never be another one, and then she'd hate herself for it.

She knew she couldn't spend all her time in the toilets, and she tried to pull herself together. She pushed open the door of the cubicle, washed her hands, splashed some water on her fce, and headed back to the staffroom.

She didn't feel strong enough to tell anyone yet.

She went back into the staffroom and she smiled weakly as she wandered back over to her friends.

They were all looking at her in confusion, and Tom was the first one to speak, looking at her with his usual concern. " You alright? " he asked, " what was all that about? "

She shook her head, " I was ... just felt a bit sick. "

He frowned, " Maybe you should go home, if you're ill," he said, walking around Matt, Jasmine and Davina to get to her side. " You don't look so good," he told her, " you really should go home, darlin'. "

The others all watched in concern but they knew no-one could comfort her quite like Tom could. It was quite touching, the relationship they had.

" Tom, I'm fine," she said, shaking her head.

" You're not," he said, " maybe Rachel could find some cover ... maybe ... look, if you're ill - "

" Tom," she said, a smile crossing her face as she looked at him, " you can't wrap me in cotton wool my whole life - "

" The hell I can't," he argued.

She laughed, " Tom, honestly I'm ok. It was just ... I don't know, but I'm ok, I was just a bit sick. "

Tom narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, " This isn't the first time you've been sick this week though, is it? Are you coming down with something? "

" Leave it," she said, though she appreciated his care, " I'm ok, I promise. "

He sighed. He knew her was probably overprotective but he couldn't help it. Their parents were both dead, their brother lived in australia, his wife had died, his fiance has a miscarriage, his fiance died. It felt like Becky was all he had left, other than the girls.

He relented, and as they all carried on the conversation, Becky sighed, wishing it wasn't this hard.

When the bell rang, she went out to the school field. The kids started digging in the corner of the playing field, and as Karla and Janeece took charge, Becky stood at the top of the big whole they were digging, watching them, while Grantly sat in a deckchair, reading the newspaper.

Some of the 6th formers who had free periods gathered around to watch and everyone was quite interested to see what would happen - many believed nothing would come of it, and Becky herself doubted they'd find much.

Becky watched Janeece scramble through the dirt and the teenager grinned, " I think I've found something! It feels boned shaped! "

Becky almost laughed when Janeece pulled out a broken shard of glass, from a bottle.

" Aah, you muppets," Lewis Seddon said, from where he stood at the top of the hole. Seddon was still working in the canteen, as much a Becky didn't like the thought of him being around.

" Shut it you, we're doing some real work here, aren't we Karla? " Janeece said, nudging Karla.

Becky smiled at Janeece's attitude, " Now now, Lewis," she said, " nothing wrong with a bit of history, is there? We might all learn something about the history of the ground we walk on every day. "

As Karla dug around, she said, " In the Precambrian era, this was a sea bed. "

Lewis scoffed, " She's making it up as she goes along. "

" Lewis! " Becky said, hands one her hips as she shook her head, " Miss Mason ok'd this because she thought it'd be something good to do outside the classroom. If you're going to be a distraction, you'd best get back to the kitchen, where I'm sure Candace will be able to find you something to do. "

" We'll prove you wrong," Janeece told Lewis firmly, " we'll find something. "

The class were silent for a while as they dug around and Karla suddenly tapped Janeece's arm with a start.

" See," Janeece told Lewis as Karla started brushing away the soil quickly.

Becky was quite interested to find out what would happen, and Grantly even got out of his chair to come and have a look.

" I promise you that whatever it is, it's not the skeleton of a dodo," said Grantly shaking his head.

Becky watched them uncover it and suddenly, she thought she'd seen something, but then dismissed it. She couldn't actually have just seen what she thought she had. As she looked it, she shook her head.

Karla was making little excited noises and Becky tried to speak but her voice failed her at first.

She took a horrified step back at the sight, and Grantly took action, jumping into the deep hole that had been dug. Grantly was ordering them to stop but everything around Becky seemed to go blurry.

She was horrified and she took several deep breaths at the sight of the skeleton. The baby's skeleton. She didn't know what to make of it and she shook her head.

" Oh my god, it's a baby! " shouted Janeece.

Becky came to her senses, knowing she needed to do something. " Everyone get out," she said, shaking her head, " everyone get back into school, now. "

The kids were all trying to get a look, as much as Grantly shouted at them to move. Becky couldn't believe what she was seeing - the skeleton of a baby. She couldn't imagine how anyone could bury a baby under the school fields - how desperate someone must have to be to do that.

She felt herself growing nauseus again but she pushed the thought out of her head and focused on making all the kids go back inside.

The kids all eventually did as they were told, and Becky looked back at the skeleton. She felt a shiver come across her whole body and she forced herself to look away quickly.

" We'd better go tell Rachel," Grantly said.

Becky nodded and forced herself to pull herself together.

She and Grantly walked to Rachel's office in silence, and they were both in a state of shock. Becky wondered what kind of mother had lost that child and how she much have felt. She couldn't imagine the pain of losing a child.

They walked to the office, and there they found the office door open.

Eddie and Rachel were sitting at the little table in the corner, talking, and it was Eddie who noticed them first. He saw the horrified looks on both of their faces and stood up slowly.

" What's going on? " he asked.

Grantly sighed heavily, " You're not going to believe this one. "

Eddie and Rachel were both very concerned, and it was Grantly who explained it all. Becky couldn't stop her hands from shaking and she couldn't believe what she'd seen.

When Grantly was finished Rachel shook her head in disbelief.

" There must be some kind of mistake," she said, absolutely stunned, as Grantly and Becky already were.

" I'm telling you," Becky said, speaking up for the first time, " we saw it. We ... we saw it. D-dead baby. "

" It's ok, Becky, we know, we believe you," Eddie said soothingly, making Becky nod and pull herself together.

" Maybe we should go see this," Rachel said.

Eddie agreed and the four of them were soon hurrying through the coridors. Becky trailed behind the other three and there were too many thoughts flying through her head. She was holding her breath a little as they walked and all she could think about was her own state.

The mother of the baby must have been so devastated to lose her baby, and here Becky herself was with a baby she didn't even know if she wanted. If this hadn't made her mind up for her then she didn't know what would.

There was no way she could get rid of a baby.

As they walked, Becky subconsiously laid her hand on her stomach, as if protected herself and the barely developed baby. Even without doing a test, she was certain she was pregnant. It had been too long, and with the morning sickness, there was little doubt.

They walked outside and Becky was very reluctant to walk across the field and show the skeleton to Rachel and Eddie.

The four of them stood there in silence and although it was a horrific sight, none of them could quite stop looking at it. Becky waited for someone else to say something because she didn't think she was strong enough to .

Eventually, Rachel sighed heavily, " Who'd bury a baby on a school playing field? "

Grantly shook his head, " You haven't been here long, have you? "

Rachel took a deep breath, " We'll have to call the police," she said, " the mother may well be one of the girls in the school. Eddie, Rebecca, can I leave you to tell the rest of the staff? Call an emergency meeting in the staffroom - I need to wait here for the police. "

Eddie didn't reply straight away and when Becky looked at him, she realised he looked as emotional as she was feeling.

" Eddie? " Rachel prompted.

Eddie shook his head, " Sorry," he said, turning to look at Becky, " shall we? "

She nodded and the pair of them started back towards the school. Becky was silent as she walked, and she was very worried about the whole situation - how they were going to find the mother, and where they were going to take this.

" Are you alright? " Eddie asked her as they walked up the stairs, after going around the heads of department and telling them to get all the staff in the staffroom. It meant just having to leave the pupils to their own devices but it was an extreme situation.

" Not really," Becky replied honestly.

Eddie nodded, understanding.

They walked into the staffroom and stood at the front of the room, watching the rest of the staff file in. Eddie looked at the young head of pastoral care once he was sure all the staff were present and he nodded.

She nodded in return and Eddie stopped forwards, clearing his throat and grabbing everyone's attentions. Everyone looked very confused, and they were obviously all wondering what on earth was going on.

" OK," Eddie said, " as most of you will know, some of our older students have been doing their own archaeological dig. The ... the dig didn't get very far because there was a discovery. "

As Eddie broke off to let the staff digest this, Becky realised she was a member of the management team too and whatever she was feeling, she had to be able to do her job.

" The pupils uncovered the remains of a baby," she said, her voice quiet, but with everyone in the staffroom so desperate to find out what was going on, that they all heard.

A collective gasp went up around the room and Becky closed her eyes for a moment as she allowed it to sink in around the room. The shock was evident and Becky knew everyone was feeling totally gobsmacked.

Becky struggled to find her voice again and as everyone in the room looked horrified, she felt the sudden wave of nausea rise again and she managed to swallow and supress it.

" The police have been called," Eddie said, " and they are very interested in finding the mother. " He took a deep breath, " I can only imagine what the mother of this child is going through. There's likely to be a lot of disruption to lessons today so ... well, if it's easier, just forget teaching, ok? "

Becky couldn't stop feeling terrible and she took a step backwards and leaned against the kitchen counter.

Across the room she caught Tom's eye and as he looked at her, he realised she was in rather a terrible state. The entire staffroom seemed to be in complete shock and no-one knew what to make of it.

Steph was the first one to speak up, " Shouldn't all classes be cancelled? " she asked, " I mean, the kids are all going to be really shocked. "

" Not to mention the staff," Tom mumbled.

" Nah, we haven't given out enough notice," sighed Eddie regretfully, " and anyway, the police may want the kids to stay onsite. "

" I've never heard anything like it," Steph said, shaking her head.

" Chilling, isn't it? " Jasmine asked, which was exactly Becky's thoughts, " especially when the mother may be one of our pupils. Imagine the desperation. "

" Why can't our girls just say no? " Grantly said, shaking his head.

Becky frowned - she thought this was completely out of line and she took a step forward as she looked at Grantly, " Maybe she did," she said sharply.

Grantly scoffed, " Not every teenage pregnancy is a rape," he said.

Davina seemed to agree with Becky and she spoke up too, displaying the emotions that were running high across the room, " There are other reasons," she said, " like maybe not every girl knows what she's doing in the first place. "

" They know too much, young people these days," said Grantly, shaking his head.

" Grantly! " Eddie said quickly, " a mother's lost her baby. "

The room fell silent again and everyone was still processing the information. Eddie sighed and looked around before leaving the room.

" I shouldn't have to be teaching at all," Grantly said, shaking his head, " after what I've been through this morning. "

" Like you're the only one," Becky said, shaking her head.

The room fell silent again, and as Becky looked up, she met Tom's eyes. She folded her arms over her chest and walked over to him. He reached out to her and he asked, " You alright? "

She couldn't fid the right words and she shook her head.

He nodded and stood up from where he'd been sitting on the table. He pulled her into a hug, " Must have been horrible to see," he mumbled. She tried to nod and he continued to hug her.

Her brother was so impossibly nice and she wanted to tell him everything - she wanted to tell him she was pregnant so he'd be able to make her feel better about it, and help her find the strength to tell Jack and cope with it.

She wanted to tell him but she couldn't bring herself to - the moment she told him, it would become real, and she couldn't ignore it.

Tom knew there was something wrong with her, but he assumed it was the shock of seeing the dead baby, which he thought had to be a shock to anyone. The meeting ran into breaktime and at the end of break time, Tom and Becky walked to their classrooms.

Tom was worried about his sister and walked to her classroom with her, before going to his own lesson.

Ten minutes after Becky's year ten class arrived, all talking amongst themselves about what they'd heard from those who'd been doing the dig. Becky sighed, knowing how difficult this day was going to be, and shouted at them all to take their seats and settle down.

They'd only been sat down a minute or so when the door opened and Eddie and Rachel walked in.

Becky raised her eyebrows and Rachel gave her a half hearted smile, " I think I should have a word," she said, before turning to the class.

Becky nodded and sat on the edge of her desk as Rachel adressed the class. She told them all that whoever the mother was, she would have plenty of support from herself, Eddie, Becky, and all the staff.

When Rachel had gone, Becky considered teaching a lesson but she knew it would be no good.

" Ok everyone," she said, standing in front of the class, " I was going to set you off on your coursework assignment, but I'm in no mood to teach and I know you're in no mood to learn. I guess you can all just talk or read or listen to your music or something. "

The class seemed very happy about this, and Becky sat behind her desk, wishing she was anywhere else.

All she could think about was how desperate the mother of the child must have been, which made her think about the sorrow of losing a child, which made her think about the baby she was carrying.

She imagined losing it and wondered how she'd feel.

The more she thought about it, the more she was starting to think maybe she could be a good mum.

As she sat at her desk, head in her hands, most of the lesson seemed to pass her by. It was nearing the end of the lesson when Rachel came into the classroom.

" Rebecca," she said, " can I borrow you? "

Becky nodded and followed Rachel out of the room.

In the corridor, a middle aged woman stood with curly dark hair stood and Rachel motioned ot her, " Rebecca, this is Detective Shaw, detective, this is Rebecca Clarkson, my head of pastoral care. "

Becky smiled a little, and the detective shook her hand.

" My main priority is to find the mother of this child," Shaw said, " could you draw up a list of vulnerable girls? Anyone who's been pregnant in the past, anyone in care, anyone you suspect might be the victim of sexual abuse, anyone the school nurse says has had the morning after pill recently. "

Rachel sighed a little, " I do hope you're not going to stigmatise Waterloo Road. The grounds here are hardly secure - it could be anyone. "

" These kind of crimes - " Shaw started only to be interrupted.

" If it _is _a crime," Rachel corrected, while Becky nodded, finding herself actually on the same page as her headmistress for a change.

The detective continued with a little nod, " These kind of things are usually done by young girls, who don't travel very far from home to do it. "

Rachel nodded and looked at Becky, " So you'll help with the initial inquiry? " she asked.

Becky nodded, " Of course I will. "

" I'll find cover for your lesson so you can start right away," Rachel said.

Becky was in her office ten minutes later, plucking files and folders from her shelves and tossing them onto the desk. The detective sat on the sofa in the office, silently watching Becky.

Becky was determined to find the mother and to help, and she managed to draw up a list of several girls who she thought might be vulnerable. Rachel was covering her lessons, so she and the detective started to get in all the girls Becky thought might be at risk, and spoke to each of them.

The search was proving very unsuccessful.

Becky's list was quite long thanks to the criteria Detective Shaw had given her, but each of the girls she spoke to denied having been pregnant at the time that would make them the mother, and some of them turned out to have never ever had sex, despite the rumours that surrounded them.

By dinner time, Becky was despairing about what she could do.

" Let's take a break," Detective Shaw said, " I'm going to speak to Miss Mason in a while, and tell her we spoke to every girl you put on the list but none of them gave us anything. For now, we might as well break for lunch. "

Becky nodded and the detective left the room.

Becky sighed and tried to calm herself down.

Now she was searching for the mother, it was all getting too much for her and all she could think about was her own baby. She laid her hand on her stomach and wondered how she'd like to be a mother.

She knew it would be so much hard work and she had no experience with babies, but she knew she couldn't get rid of this baby. It wasn't the baby's fault she and Jack had split up.

She had so worried about telling Jack, however, and she didn't have a clue how she was going to do it.

She walked up to the staffroom, and as she did, started thinking about how awful it must be to lose a baby. She couldn't imagine the pain and she didn't know what on earth the mother of the baby was going through.

She was quite lost in her own thoughts but she tried to snap out of it as she saw Jasmine, Matt and Tom sat down.

" Hey guys," she said, as Matt moved his things off the chair next to him so she could sit beside him, opposite Tom and Jasmine.

Everyone was talking about the discovery and it was inescapable.

Becky couldn't shake off the emotions. Every time anyone spoke about the baby, she thought about her own condition, and how she was going to deal with it.

She could feel her eyes welling up with tears and she cleared her throat, " Excuse me," she said, standing up and shaking her head. She put her lunchbox down on her seat and left the room, just hoping for some kind of peace.

She'd only just gotten into the corridor outside the staffroom when there was a hand on her shoulder.

" Come on," he said, as she turned to look at him, " what's going on? "

She shook her head, folding her arms over her chest and turning to look out of the window, " Just this whole ... dead baby. The whole thing ... I mean a poor innocent baby being found dead. "

Tom mirrored her actions, and they both looked out of the window, side by side.

" I don't know how to cope with it, you know," she told her brother, " It was so ... horrible, so see. " She sighed, " I can't imagine how hard it must be to lose a baby. "

The moment she said it, her eyes widened and she turned to look at him in the sudden realisation that Lorna had once aborted Tom's baby and pretended she'd miscarried, and Izzie had actually miscarried his baby.

" Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head, " I ... I wasn't thinking. Must bring back horrible memories for you too. "

He gave her a weak smile, " Don't worry about it," he said. He turned in to face her and she did the same. He reached out and she accepted his embrace, resting her head against his shoulder.

He rubbed her back, " I feel like an agony aunt today," he said when they broke apart, " I found Davina earlier, almost at breaking point because she struggled to deal with Karla today. Anyway ... back in there, shall we? "

He started towards the staffroom again but as he did so, he frowned.

Something didn't quite sit right. For the first time, he considered that Becky's emotional state might be due to something more than the discovery of the baby. It was almost as if it was closer to home but he couldn't see how she could be.

Then there was this strange sickness. He stopped still, wondered if she might be pregnant. He discarded the thought almost as soon as he'd thought it - she'd have told him, if she was pregnant.

He turned around and saw that she was still looking out of the window, this time her arms wrapped around her body. He frowned - almost as if she was protecting her stomach. He once again discarded that thought - she'd have told him, he was sure of it.

" Becky," Tom said lightly, watching her watch the police dig at the far end of the field, " you'd tell me, wouldn't you, if anything was going on? Because you know you can tell me anything, don't you? "

For a moment she hesitated when she turned around to look at him, and then she nodded, " I know. "

They went back to the staffroom together but Tom still couldn't shake the thought that she wasn't fine - she was still hiding something from him.

Becky had the next hour off timetable too, as Rachel was still covering her lessons so she could try and come up with a new list of girls she could possibly speak to.

In her office, she was pulling files from the shelves as there was a knock at the door.

She turned around to see Janeece and she smiled and motioned for her to come in. When Janeece came in, Becky smiled at her foster daughter's best friend, but the teenage girl looked very worried.

" Everything alright? " she asked .

" Miss, I think I know who's the baby is," Janeece said, her voice all rushed and panicked.

Becky's eyes widened - finally she'd be able to help the poor girl if only she knew who she was. She shook her head and asked, " You do? "

" It's Maxine's," Janeece said.

Becky was completely stunned, and she couldn't even speak for a moment. She shook her head, " You ... it ... it can't be! Maxine would have told me - you know how close we are. "

" But she admitted it to me," Janeece said desperately, " I'm just trying to help her. She's sat outside, round the back of the english block. "

Becky shook her head and ran a hand through her hair.

" Oh ... my god," she sighed, wondering how on earth she was going to deal with this, " well, thanks for telling me, Janeece. I'll go talk to her. "

Janeece nodded, face grave, before she left the office.

Becky couldn't believe what she'd just been told. How on earth was she going to deal with her beloved foster daughter? She couldn't believe this was true and she didn't have a clue how she could deal with this - this was huge. When it came to Maxine, she and Jack had always dealt with her together.

She walked outside, looking for Maxine, supposing that all she had to do was try and comfort her. She found Maxine sitting on the bench exactly where Janeece had said she'd be, and she sighed as she walked over.

She sat down next to Maxine.

" Maxy," she said softly, " Janeece told me - "

" Yeah," nodded Maxine, cutting her off, " it was my baby. "

Becky sighed, quite unable to believe it. She'd spent all day worrying about her own pregnancy and her foster daughter had actually lost a baby. It was so close to home and she didn't know how to deal with it.

She wrapped her arm around Maxine's shoulders and pulled her in close.

Maxine sighed, " You can walk away from me now," she said, " I know you won't want me anymore. "

" How can you say that? " Becky said in shock, " Sweetie, I'm not going to walk away. Oh, why didn't you ever tell me? Or why didn't you ever tell Jack? "

Maxine sniffed, " It was me," she mumbled, " I buried it. "

Becky rubbed her shoulder, " Why? "

Maxine took a deep breath to explain it all, " It was when I was on the streets," she said, " I was out of my head on drugs, didn't have a clue what I was going on. I murdered the baby, Becky. I knew I was pregnant but I kept hoping it'd go away. "

Becky felt a tear slip down her cheek and she ignored it, and Maxine was silently crying too as she spoke.

She continued, " I was living in that burnt out car, always getting wasted, trying to forget about it. I felt the baby coming and I ran to the school, hoping for help and there was no-one around. It was dark and it came out. Already dead. "

There was a pause, while Maxine tried to stop the gathers and collect herself, but she couldn't quite manage it. She sobbed as she spoke, " It didn't cry or nothing. And it was so small. Tiny fingers and toes. "

Becky shook her head as her foster daughter sobbed harder, and she pulled her into a hug. Maxine clung to her tightly.

" I was so desperate," she sniffed, " I didn't know what to do. "

Becky rubbed her back soothingly as she hugged her back, " Sweetie, you've nothing to blame yourself about," she said, " you did nothing wrong. "

Maxine kept clinging to Becky tightly, and Becky hugged her, rocking her slightly from side to side. They stayed like that for a while, and when they broke apart, Becky reached out and took her hand, " Everything's going to be alright, sweetie. "

She stood up and Maxine did too.

Becky put her arm aroud Maxine's shoulders and they slowly walked towards the office. Her arm around Maxine's shoulders, Becky led her towards the office.

When they got to the outer office, Rachel was standing in the doorway talking to Bridget when they got there, and Becky sighed, " I think we've found the mother," she said.

Rachel looked extrememly suprised but her face softened, and she nodded.

Rachel called for Eddie, and when Eddie came, the four of them sat down on the sofa's in Rachel's office. Becky held Maxine's hand as Maxine explained it all to Rachel and Eddie.

When she was finished, there was a short silence until Eddie asked quietly, " Why did you never tell Becky or Jack when they took you in? "

Maxine shook her head, " I was so ashamed. I thought they'd think so much less of me. "

" Maxine, you've been so brave," Rachel said, to which Becky nodded, " and if you can cope with it, I want you to be even braver. I think the girls here need to know your story. "

Maxine shook her head suddenly, eyes widening, " I ... I can't! "

" There's nothing to be ashamed of," Rachel said comfortingly.

" Maxy," Becky said softly, realising that this might be a very good idea, " you don't want anyone else to go through what you did, do you? If we can spare anyone else from - " she broke off not quite sure how to end it, and Rachel took over.

" If we can just make other people more aware," she said.

Eddie left the room all of a sudden, and Becky looked after him. She knew he seemed to have been struggling with today, and Rachel got up and followed him.

While the two were out of the room, Maxine wiped at her face, wiping away the tears and turning to look at Becky.

" Do I have to tell Jack? " she asked.

Becky considered it for a moment - Jack loved Maxine as much as Becky did, and she knew he'd want to help her. " It's entirely your choice," she said.

Maxine sighed, " He should know, shouldn't he? Do you think he'll go mad? I'm seeing him tomorrow. Do I have to tell him? "

Becky winced as she imagined Jack's reaction.

" You know he's only protective because he loves you," Becky said softly. " I think he'd understand if you told him. He ... " she sighed as she started to think about Jack and she knew she was getting into dangerous territory, " he's very good at looking after people when they're upset. "

She sighed, and Rachel came back into the room.

" Am I in trouble? " Maxine asked Rachel fearfully.

Rachel smiled a little then shook her head, " What on earth for? Everyone just wants to help you - there's been no crime commited. "

Becky nodded and stood up. She took Maxine by the hand and pulled her up to her feet, before looking at Rachel. Rachel nodded and the pair of them left the room, going into Becky's office.

Becky gave her some tissue to wipe her eyes and gave her a drink, before she sat down in the middle of the sofa.

" Do you know what you would have called her? " Becky asked, sitting down on the edge of the desk.

" Charlotte," Maxine replied, smiling a little.

Becky nodded, " That's nice," she said, " there's a rose with that name you know. "

There was a knock at the door, and Maxine pulled it open to let her best friend in. Janeece immediately engulfed her friend into a big warm hug. Maxine clung to her and when the hug was over, Janeece rubbed her friend's arm.

" I'm not being cheeky," she said, " but do you know who the dad is? "

It was a question Becky was also curious about though she had a suspicion and she looked at Maxine, who looked very desperate. " I'm not still seeing him," she said, " but he'll go mad - he'll hate me. "

Becky sighed, " He ... he should probably know," she said.

" I can't! " Maxine said, before taking a deep breath, " It's Lewis. "

Becky sighed, thinking about Seddon. She and Jack had managed to get Maxine to stop seeing Seddon pretty quickly after they took her in, though she still saw him around the school and occassionally spoke to him.

" Jack'd kill him if he was here," Becky said, knowing it was true, " I should go see Rachel and Eddie. You two can stay in here, if you want. "

Becky went to the office, where Eddie and Rachel were sat there together. Becky walked into the room slowly - Maxine was obviously so desperate not to tell Lewis, and Becky knew how scared she was.

" Sorry to interrupt," she said, " but I've found out who the dad is. "

" Oh? " Eddie asked.

Becky nodded, " It's Lewis Seddon but she doesn't want to tell him herself - she's terrified of his reaction. Does ... well, does he need to know? "

" Of course he does! " Eddie said.

Becky sighed, " Only, she's so scared of telling him, and well ... "

" Any man has the right to know he's fathered a child, I think," Eddie said. The comment hit home and Becky couldn't help but relate the situation, once again, to herself. She thought about Jack. She was terrified of telling him too - she knew she couldn't keep it secret for long because Maxine would know, and she and Jack shared custody of Maxine.

" You know what," Eddie said, offering her half a smile, " it's ok, I'll do it. "

Becky was quite relieved and she went back to her office. Janeece left when Becky came back in and as Becky wondered how the hell she was going to tell her ex she was pregnant, she reached out to Maxine and pulled her into a hug, hoping it would comfort them both.

They hadn't been alone long when Eddie came into the room, followed by Lewis. From the somber expression on Lewis' face, Eddie had already broke the news to him, and Eddie closed the door after him and stayed in the room, to Becky's relief - she didn't want to be alone with Lewis and Maxine in case anything happened.

" You should have told me Maxine," Lewis said as Maxine turned to face him.

" I was worried how you'd react," she said honestly.

" Like what? " Lewis asked, his voice serious. Becky thought the whole thing was terrible and she didn't quite know what to do about it. She watched the pair of them, wishing things had turned out differently for poor Maxine.

" I don't know," mumbled Maxine, " I'm so sorry. "

" You haven't done anything wrong," Lewis told her, to Becky's relief, " but I'd have looked after the baby, you know. All lads want to be dads, even if they don't admit it. "

Becky sighed at the thought of this, once again thinking about Jack, and wishing there were less reminders of him everywhere she turned. It was painful to think that she and Jack had spoken about having a baby, and they'd agreed they'd try for a baby maybe a few months after they were married.

When Lewis and Eddie had left, Rachel was the next person to come into the room.

She told Maxine that the girls were all ready to listen, and she encouraged Maxine to stay strong. Becky felt rather grateful for Rachel for reaching out to Maxine and being so kind to her.

Becky sat at the back of the room as Maxine delivered her speech to the 6th form. She was sitting beside Tom, with the rest of the staff who were either free or timetables to teach the 6th form at that time.

Becky was so proud of her girl for giving her speech, standing strong and bravely giving her story. She listened as Maxine recounted her story and she felt so sorry for her, but so proud of her.

Everyone was transfixed as they listened, and the one thing that caught Becky's attention the most was when Maxine pointed out that all she had to do was tell someone.

When Maxine said that, Becky thought about her own situation and glanced in Tom's direction.

He looked at her just as she looked away and for a moment he didn't think about it, but then he started to wonder again, just like he had earlier in the day, about what might be wrong with her.

He started to wonder if she was pregnant again, but he couldn't believe it. She'd have told him, he knew it.

When Maxine had finished, everyone was silent and they broke into a loud round of applause for her. Maxine made her way to the back of the room and Becky smiled and pulled her into a hug as Rachel dismissed everyone else. As Becky hugged Maxine, Tom smiled fondly at the girl and rubbed her back soothingly - he wasn't as close to Maxine as Becky was of course, but Maxine was his sister's foster daughter and his own step-daughter's friend.

Becky was quite relieved to go home at the end of the day.

She made Maxine some tea, and afterwards the pair of them went into the living room, where they stuck on a dvd.

" Ok," Becky said, handing Maxine a box of quality street she'd bought a few days ago, " How about I make you a deal," she said, " we'll find a way to remember baby Charlotte, as long as you never mention that that would have made me kind of a grandmother at the grand old age of 29. "

Maxine smiled, " Deal. "


	13. Turmoil

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Becky woke up quite early. She hadn't been able to sleep much anyway, worrying about the pregnancy. She got up, made herself some breakfast, and it wasn't long before Maxine was up.

Maxine spent every other weekend with Jack, who was now settled in a flat in Leeds and doing some part time work at a bar. Maxine told Becky that Jack was in therapy again, trying to deal with his issues from Izzie's death, which he'd ever gotten over. Night terrors, anxiey attacks - he'd never gotten over it, and Becky knew it.

Maxine told Becky that Jack said he wasn't fit for a fulltime job and he was taking time out of education to try and get his head sorted, but he was working because he needed a way of supporting himself.

When Maxine was up, Becky made her some breakfast, then drove her to the train station. She paid for her ticket and waited on the platform with her for the train to Leeds.

When the train came, Becky hugged her tightly, " Have a good weekend, sweetie," she said.

" You too," Maxine replied.

Becky laughed, " I doubt I'll be doing anything exciting. See you soon. Behave yourself. "

Maxine nodded and they shared another hug before Maxine got on the train. Becky left the train station and she headed back home.

She knew Jack was meeting Maxine on the platform in Leeds, and she knew Maxine had decided she was going to tell Jack about baby Charlotte.

Becky was worried and she asked Maxine if she wanted to Becky to ring ahead and ask Jack if she could come along. Maybe they could tell Jack together, but Maxine was sure she could do it by herself.

Becky was proud of her but very worried because she thought that if Maxine told Jack that, it really wouldn't be best for her to follow it up with an announcement of her own pregnancy.

She had no idea how he'd take it, considering they weren't together anymore, and he had no real job, and was trying to recover from Izzie's death and the trauma it had caused him, and trying to sort his head out.

She knew that if she was being sensible, she'd get in touch with him and tell him straight away. He wasn't a million miles away, and it wasn't as if they weren't ever seeing each other again. They shared Maxine, and they would eventually have to see each other over matters concerning her.

She just couldn't bring herself to tell him.

She went home and had only just sat down with a pile of year 12 essays to mark, when she realised she couldn't concentrate. She frowned and set aside the essay on her lap.

She knew she needed to do something, and she came to the realisation that she needed to do a test. She knew she was pregnant, but hadn't actually carried out a test - there was a small shred that she might not be. Maybe ... well, she didn't know what to think. But she knew she should have taken a test in the first place.

She plucked up the courage to throw on her coat and get in the car.

She drove to the nearest pharmacy and forced herself to shove down the nerves as she bought a test. When she got back home, she went into the kitchen and put the paper bag down on the kitchen table as she whipped her scarf off and started to unbutton her coat.

She'd just wriggled out of her coat when there was a knock at the door. She threw her coat over the table as she went to the door, and when she pulled it open, she found herself looking at her brother.

He looked quite serious but he offered her a smile.

" Hey," she grinned, stepped back so he had room to come in. " You alright? " she asked, closing the door behind him and turning around to face him.

The serious sort of look on his face suprised her and he said, " I'm kind of ... worried, about yesterday. "

" Yeah? " she asked, suprised as she walked into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on.

She turned around to face him and he was just looking at her. She folded her arms over her chest as she looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

" You know I'm always here, don't you? " he started, before nervously looking down and back up again, " only, I'm sure that there's something you're not telling me. The way you were acting yesterday ... I mean, obviously you were upset that Maxine turned out to be the mother of the baby, and you had to figure out how to deal with it ... but ... you were like that before you knew it was Maxine. Something's ... something's going on. "

" Tom, " she sighed, realising this was the moment when she had to tell him. She couldn't keep it to herself - she needed to tell someone, and she knew she was going to have to start being a grown up about it.

She paused, not quite sure what to say.

She took a deep breath. This was Tom - she knew he'd be supportive of her but she just didn't know how to tell him - telling someone made it all so real.

" I ... " she closed her eyes, " I'm pregnant," she said very quickly.

She kept her eyes tightly closed, not wanting to face his reaction, and waited. She heard him sigh and then he said, his voice rather gentle, " Look at me. "

Tom was suprised that she was so scared of his reaction - he'd started to suspect yesterday and although he'd dismissed it because he was so sure she'd have told him if she was, the thought hadn't completely left his head.

She opened one eye and when she saw the look on his face, she saw that he didn't look angry or annoyed. He looked stunned but he was clearly trying to be supportive.

" Come on," he said, shaking his head, smiling a little, " don't be daft - look at me. "

She sighed and opened her eyes.

Tom wasn't quite sure what to say and he took a step forwards. " You're ... you're pregnant? " he asked calmly.

She nodded silently.

He smiled, " Congratulations, darlin'," he said.

She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, taking a deep breath, " No! " she said, " not "congratulations." This is ... this is ... how can I have a baby? I'm ... no! "

Tom looked quite suprised and he shook his head, " Well, I know you're not with Jack ... the baby is Jack's, right? ... but - "

" Are you serious? " she demanded, " of course it's Jack's baby! There hasn't been anyone else! "

He held up his hands in apology, " Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I'm just saying, I know you're not with Jack, but if you're going to do this, you won't be on your own. You've always got me. "

" You ... you're not mad," she said quietly.

" Why would I be mad? " he asked, shaking his head, unable to resist a grin, " don't be ridiculous. It's a baby ... it's great news. Are you ... you were thinking of doing this? " he asked, then because he wasn't sure how to handle it and didn't want to pressure her, he added, " or not? "

She still didn't look happy and Tom shook his head and stepped forwards. He was pulling her into his arms before she could protest and he closed his arms around her. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder, clinging to him, feeling safe in his embrace.

" I'm keeping the baby," she mumbled against him, " I ... I can't get rid of a baby. I ... I don't know what's going to happen, but I know I won't kill a baby when it's not the baby's fault. "

Tom rubbed her back soothingly, " I take it you haven't told Jack? Or Maxine? "

Becky sighed, " I don't know how I'm going to tell him. I'm so scared what he'll say, Tommy. It's hardly the ideal situation, is it? How the hell is this going to work? Can you imagine? "

Tom broke apart from her gently, " You're going to have to tell him," he said softly.

" I know," she nodded, " I just ... god, it's hardly ideal. I don't want ... I don't want him back, Tom, and he won't want me back. Just when I thought it was all over and I could move on ... "

" He's got to know," Tom told her, " I know you're not together and things might get pretty ... complicated between you, but it's his baby too and he'll want to be involved. "

She sighed, " I ... I know. "

" So," Tom said, a mischevious smile crossing his face, " how far along are you? Clearly not very, I'm guessing, looking at you "

" 6 or 7 week I guess," she said, " but I ... I'm not telling everyone yet. I ... um ... I haven't actually taken a test yet or seen the doctor. "

Tom immediately rolled his eyes, " Then how d'you know you're pregnant? "

" I just do! " she said, " period's way late, morning sickness, tiredness - I looked up all the symptoms and I've got them all. I just _know. _And - " she broke off and picked her coat up off the table to reveal the paper bag which contained the pregnancy tests - " I was just about to do a test before you came. "

" Then get up there and do it! " Tom said, " I'll make us a drink. "

She sighed and Tom sighed too and put his hands on her shoulders as she picked up the pregnancy tests, turned her arround and gave her a little nudge in the direction of the hallway.

She knew she had to do it however nervous she was feeling and she went upstairs.

When she returned five minutes later, she wandered into the kitchen looking sort of dazed. Tom wouldn't work out if she was happy or not - there were tears in her eyes but that was no clear indication either way.

" Becky? " he prompted, leaning against the kitchen counter.

She nodded wordlessly and then covered her mouth with one hand as the tears started to fall.

" Hey, hey," Tom said softly, immediately there to engulf her in a big warm hug.

She hugged him back and she told him, " Three tests, all positive. I'm having a baby. "

Tom noted that she sounded quite happy now, and Becky herself had realised that although she and Jack weren't in an ideal situation, she knew she wanted this baby, whatever he wanted, or whatever involvement he had. She was quite sure she'd have this baby if it meant doing it alone, though she couldn't imagine Jack wanting no part.

The thought of having a baby was so lovely and she felt like ... it just felt right.

Tom kissed her cheek as they broke apart and he smiled.

" How d'you feel? " he asked softly.

She bit her lip and Tom added, " Taking Jack out of the equation, how would - how do - you feel? "

" I want ... it's a suprise, of course, but having a baby. My baby - god, being a mum, it sounds so ... Tom, I can't explain it, but it feels so right. Everything happens for a reason, right? This is my big chance. It might be my only chance to be a mum - other than Maxine, of course. But who knows - maybe I won't get another chance. This could be my only baby. "

Tom nodded, " Well, you've always got me to help too. And Maxine'll be great, I'm sure, and Donte and my girls, too. And Jack, too, as much as I want to give the man I good punch for getting my sister pregnant and then buggering off. "

Becky rolled her eyes, " Oh come on, it's not like he _knew _I was pregnant when we split up. And it's not like he left me, either, is it? Oh god, what's he going to say when he find out? "

" He'll be supportive," Tom said, " or he'll have me to answer to. What're you going to do? "

Becky threw her arms up in the air, " I don't know. He's got Maxy this weekend so I thought maybe I could ring him tomorrow and ask if it might be alright if I came up to talk to him. It's only an hour on the train. Maybe I could go tomorrow, or one night during the week. It's a pain having to go over to see him but he's not too far away and it has to be done face to face. "

Tom nodded.

" And you'll have to go see your doctor," he told her, " get things all set up. "

She nodded, " God, there's so much to think about. It has to be a secret, though. No point telling anyone at the school and letting the gossips spread it all around the school. I was reading up online - they reckon the first 12 weeks are the most dangerous for having a miscarriage. Maybe I could tell everyone after that. "

Tom nodded.

They went into the living room together, and it felt so good to have told someone what was going on. Tom was an absolute godsend and she knew now that he'd be so supportive of her.

As they sat down with a cup of tea each, side by side on the sofa, they chatted away idly, and after a pause, Tom grinned.

" I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle," he said in excitement.

She laughed, " You already _are _an uncle, Tom. "

Tom shrugged off the thought of his two nieces, the daughters of their elder brother, who lived in Australia. " Yeah," he said, " but this is different. I see you nearly every day, I'll actually have a niece or a nephew whose life I can be a part of. "

Becky smiled a little, laying her hand on her flat stomach, " You're going to be such a great uncle," she said.

He grinned, " You're going to be a great mum," he told her.

She scoffed, " I don't know anything about kids. "

" You'll learn," he said.

She nodded and for a moment allowed herself to forget about Jack, and think about how one day she was going to have her own little baby. Someone for her to love and care for - yes, she had Maxine, but a baby all of her own would be fantastic..

Tom stayed for most of the day and by the time he left, Becky was in quite a good mood.

She hugged him tightly before he left and he couldn't resist reaching out and resting a hand against her stomach briefly. She smiled and playfully pushed his hand away.

" I'll see you Monday, darlin.' "

When he'd gone, she settled down with her marking, quite happy that she'd told him, and she'd done a test and she knew where she stood now.

It hadn't taken her long to realise that being a mother felt right - she knew she wanted to be a mum to her own little baby one day and she knew this was her chance. She couldn't get rid of an innocent baby.

The only trouble she had was telling Jack.

She couldn't tell Maxine until she'd told Jack, and she needed to figure out what she was going to say and how they were going to handle it. She knew she needed to be strong and tell him as soon as possible, but she was worried that it would open a whole can of worms.

She could only imagine the emotions she'd go through in the next several months and she was worried that things could get very complicated with regrds to her relationship with Jack.

She knew where they stood - he was the only man she'd ever loved, and she still wasn't over him completely, but they were over.

Even Jack knew where they stood. Jack had been so tortured after Izzie's death and he needed to sort his mind out. He needed to put himself right before he could be part of anyone else's life and put that pressure on them too, and the final straw had been when he'd cheated on his beloved fiance. Then, he had known that he had to go - losing Becky, losing his way at work and cheating on both his partner and in his work life made him know he had to fix himself or it wasn't fair to anyone else.

Becky was so unsure of what would happen when she told him - how the hell were they going to get through a pregnancy together?

She didn't have a clue what was ahead of her but she knew she was going to do it.

**Author's Note: It's now November in the story so I think the next couple of chapters will give an overview of the next month or so, with her telling Jack, and his reaction, though she'll keep it from everyone else (except maybe Maxine) until she's further along. The next couple of chapters will be her telling Jack, and her pregnancy unfolding, and maybe some of the other staff getting suspicious. **

**Let me know if you've got any ideas.**


	14. Sharing

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Fourteen

Becky had fully intended to phone Jack that weekend and ask him if she could come and meet with him, but she couldn't quite find the courage to do it. She told herself she'd do it after her mid week appointment with the doctor.

When Maxine came back on Sunday evening, Becky said nothing about her pregnany - she knew she couldn't tell her foster daughter until she'd told Jack, and it would be several weeks before it was obvious.

Her morning sickness didn't seem to be hitting her first thing so she was having no real job hiding it.

On Monday morning, she was on her way to the staffroom when she felt a wave of nausea. Thanking god for the toilets on the same corridor as the staffroom, she went in and when she emerged over ten minutes later, felt pretty terrible.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before putting her best smile on her face and walked into the staffroom. Tom was sitting with some of their usual crowd - Davina and Jasmie.

" Morning, you lot," she said cheerily as she entered the room.

There was a round of replies and as she walked over to the kettle, Tom followed.

" Take it you didn't tell him? " Tom asked quietly, " I'm sure you'd have told me, if you had. "

Becky sighed, " I did intend to, but ... "

" Becky," he said quietly, their backs to the rest of the room so the conversation was quite clearly private, " you've got to - "

" I know," she nodded, " and I'm going to. I'm going to see the doctor this week - I'll tell him after that. Once I've got a scan date and everything. I will tell him. "

Tom nodded and he watched as Becky reached out for the coffee, flicking the switch on the kettle as she did so. As she prised the lid off the coffee he raised his eyebrows, " What're you doing? "

She frowned as she looked at him, " What d'you mean? "

He shook his head, " You can't drink coffee now. I'm sorry darlin', but you're going to have to find a substitute. "

Becky sighed, not having considered that. " Oh. Can I have decaf? "

Tom pulled a face, " I ... um ... I'm not sure but Izzie looked it all up when she was pregnant, and she decided to avoid it all. "

" Oh God," Becky sighed, shaking her head, " I'm so bad at this. I don't know _anything. "_

" You'll learn," Tom said, " honest, you will. "

She sighed, " Guess I'll just make a coffee for you, then. Maybe I'll have ... god, I didn't even think about coffee. "

Tom pulled a face, " I think maybe you're allowed one cup. "

" You sure? " she asked.

Tom wasn't sure and he shook his head, so she shrugged, " Better off not bothering then, I suppose. See if there's some orange juice or something in the fridge will you? "

He poured her a drink and she made him a coffee in silence. When she turned around to face him, she handed him his coffee and he handed her her glass of orange juice.

" I really don't know anything about pregnancy," she told him.

He shook his head, " Don't do that to yourself," he said, " you'll learn, honest, you will. "

She sighed but let it go. She looked over her shoulder and then took a step closer to him, lowering her voice, " Listen, please please pleae keep this a secret? "

" Yeah, course," he whispered.

She shook her head, " Yeah, you say that but don't be fussing over me. I don't want any of this "here, don't carry that" or "you shouldn't be doing that." Don't be ... suspicious. "

Tom smiled a little and he nodded before the pair of them went back to join their friends.

It didn't take their friends longs to notice what Becky was drinking and Davina raised her eyebrows, " No coffee? But ... you love coffee. "

Becky shrugged, " Well," she said, " I'm trying to cut back on all that caffine - healthy eating and ... you know, all that. "

This seemed to be accepted, and for the rest of the week, Becky very easily managed to hide her pregnancy. It wasn't hard to hide since she was so early on, but her friends had been somewhat suprised when she'd decided against going to the pub twice in the week, claiming she had a lot of marking to do.

On Friday, she left school early, as she had an appointment with the doctor, and she told Rachel it was a dental appointment.

She met with the doctor and came away feeling more informed, having a date for a scan but feeling terrified - it was al so real now. Maxine went to Janeece's after school, and Becky hadn't been home long when there was a knock at the door.

She rarely ever got visitors and just assumed it would be someone she knew.

" It's not locked! " she called out as she walked from the kitchen into the hallway.

She grinned when Tom came into the house.

" Hey," she said, walking back into the kitchen, " d'you want a drink? "

He took a seat at the kitchen table and she made him a coffee, poured herself a drink of orange juice and sat down oposite him.

" Go on then," he said, leaning back in the chair, " let hear all about it. "

She told him the details of her appointment, and her scan date which was in 4 weeks time. Tom listened carefully and when she was done, he was grinning, " I still can't believe I'm going to be an uncle. "

She laughed, " Well, you'd better start believing it, because in about 33 weeks ... "

He chuckled and after a pause, leaned forwards and looked her in the eyes, " Of course, you know what you've got to do next, don't you? "

" I know," she nodded, " I'm so ... I'm so nervous, Tom. "

" It's going to be ok," Tom said, " Jack's ... Jack's not a bad guy. "

Her lips twitched into a smile at how he seemed to struggle over that - she knew Tom had never been able to forgive Jack for cheating on her.

" No," she agreed, " whatever happened - he's not. He was just ... just ... " she broke off, before she started trying to justify his infidelity, because she knew she could quite easily justify it if she tried and she didn't want to get into that.

" How're you going to do it? " Tom asked her.

She bit down on her bottom lip nervously and replied, " I guess ... I guess it's got to be face to face. I'll ring him and tell him I need to see him and then either I'll drive up there or he can come down here. "

Tom nodded, " And Maxine? "

" Well, as you can see, she's not here," Becky pointed out, " she's sleeping at Janeece's tonight, so the pair of them are going shopping on the train to Manchester tomorrow and I think she's staying for tea at Janeece's too, so I don't have her again now until tomorrow night. I guess I'll tell her once Jack knows. God, I hope she'll be happy. "

Tom smiled and he watched as Becky took a deep breath and stood up.

" Better ring him now before I lose my nerve, hadn't I? "

She picked up her mobile and scrolled through her phonebook for him. She hovered over his name, knowing that once he knew she was pregnant, it would bring him back into her life, and she wasn't sure how she was going to deal with putting aside all those feelings she'd once had for him, and just make this about the baby.

Knowing that he needed to know and had the right to be involved, she pressed down on his name and put the phone to her ear.

The phone started to ring and she held her breath.

She bit down on her lip nervously and waited for an answer.

The phone rung a few times before all of a sudden, she heard his voice.

" Becky? "

He sounded very suprised to hear from her and the sound of his too famiiar voice made her heart hammer against his chest. She hadn't seen him since he left Waterloo Road six weeks ago and they exchanged keys for the house when he moved away, and she hadn't spoken to him since a few days after that when they exchanged a call to talk about arragements for him seeing Maxine.

" Jack," she said, her voice coming out as a breath as she found herself unable to get out what she needed to say.

" Um, Becky, is everything alright? "

He sounded concerned and still confused and she supposed he must be assuming she was calling about Maxine, because why else would she be?

She took a deep breath, " Jack, everything's alright, Maxine's alright, but you and me have got to talk. "

" We ... we have? What's going on, love? You sure you're ok? You sound kind of ... tense. "

She sighed at the use of the simple term of affectionate, thrown out so caually, " Please, I need to talk to you, need to see you. "

She was so worried about how he'd take it but he seemed so concerned and that was rather reassuring, though her mind was just spinning at the sound of his voice.

" Jack, we've just got to talk," she said.

" Right," Jack said, sounding as though he was trying to calm her down, " ok, calm down, it's ok. So, we've got to talk? We can't ... talk now? "

She sighed, " Please, we've just got to talk. I can't do this over the phone. "

Jack paused and then said, " Right, ok, listen, if it's that important to you then maybe we could meet tomorrow. D'you want me to drive over to see you or d'you want to come see me? "

Becky hesitated when she thought about and Jack seemed to have sensed she was panicked and took over. " Ok," he said, " shall I come and see you tomorrow? "

" Um ... yeah," she said, " yeah, do that. Only, please don't tell Maxine you're coming. She won't be here when you get here - she's with Janeece all day tomorrow, and ... well ... please don't tell her. "

" Ok, Ok," Jack said, trying to use his most soothing voice, " how about I come over around noon tomorrow? Is that alright? You're ... you're sure you can't give me an idea of what this is about? You're starting to worry me. "

" Yeah that's fine," she said, " and don't worry about me. I can't tell you like this, but I will tell you I'm ok. Just need to talk. "

It felt so good to have told him but now she felt even more nervous because she realised she had to tell him the actual news.

" Ok," he said, " ok love I'll see you tomorrow. "

She said goodbye to him, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she put the phone down.

" He's coming over tomorrow," she told Tom as she sat down again.

" It's going to be alright," Tom told her.

She sighed, " Well, we'll see, won't we? "

Tom stayed for a while, but Becky found herself briefly wishing they could go back to how they'd been before, when they could sit down together and have a few drinks. Then she instantly dismissed the thought when she thought about the fact that she was going to have a little baby.

She couldn't deny that she was looking forward to it, as scary as it seemed right now.

He stayed for a few hours, and as he was about to go, he turned around at the door and smiled at her. She nodded, knowing what he was about to say, and he reached out to her.

She smiled a little as he pulled her into a big hug and he rubbed her back in a big gesture of comfort, to which she responded by clinging to him. He kissed the top of her head when they broke apart after a long hug.

" Good luck for tomorrow," he said, " ring me and let me know how it goes. "

She nodded.

Tom smiled a little, " Come on, don't look like that. He's ... well, everyone knows how devoted he was to you. He won't do anything to upset you. "

She nodded and felt a little reassured by him.

" Look after yourself," he told her, before hugging her again. As they broke apart, he rested his hand on her flat tummy. "Look after baby too," he said.

She smiled, " Thank you. I'll call you tomorrow. "

The next morning Becky woke up very nervous. She got dressed, went downstairs and made a bit of breakfast. She was more nervous than she'd ever been, as much as she tried to distract herself with a good book.

The door bell rang at exactly noon, and Becky forced herself to get off the sofa and go to the door. She took a deep breath to brace herself and then reached for the door.

She swung it open and found herself looking up into the handsome face of the man she'd loved.

" Jack," she breathed as she looked up at him.

" Becky," he smiled, " how are you? "

She nodded, " I ... yeah ... good. "

There was a short silence, and she felt him look her up and down. When she slowly looked up into his eyes, he smiled a little, " You look ... you look ... " he shook his head, " why do you always look so great? "

" I don't," she said, stepping back to let him into the house.

He wandered into the living room and as she followed him, and saw him sitting on the sofa, all she could think about was the nights they'd spent curled up on the same sofa, watching tv in each others arms.

Her mind was spinning with thoughts, and all the love she'd had for Jack seemed to come flooding back, but she didn't want it to complicate things, and she wasn't even sure how she felt.

" D-d'you want a drink? " she asked him, hovering in the door way.

" No thanks," he said, shaking his head. As he looked at her, he frowned a little, " what's wrong with you? Why're you so nervous? "

" I-I'm not," she said, though her voice gave her away.

He scoffed, " Like I don't know you inside out. What's going on? "

She came into the room and sat down next to him on the sofa. She clasped her hands toether and tried to think about what was the best way to tell him, and ended up looking at the floor for a good half a minute.

She cleared her throat and looked up at him, trying to force some words out, and she ended up asking him something completely different, " So, um, how've you been? " she asked, trying to delay what she really needed to say.

" Not great, to be honest," he replied, " Becky, you know how messed up I was after Izzie. I'm still seeing a therapist, still on anti-depressives, still having nightmares. Just need to sort my head out before I can even think about getting another teaching job. It helps though, seeing Maxine, knowing she's alright, knowing ... knowing you're with my brother being close by ... so its ... it's not too bad. "

She nodded

He turned slightly to face her, " Um, Becky, are you actually going to tell me why you insisted that we had to meet up? "

" Yeah, yeah," she said, looking up into his eyes.

She took a breath and the look in his eyes was just one of care and genuine concern and she felt more compelled to tell him, though she could't help the niggling feeling that he was going to take it badly.

" But you can't tell Maxine. Not until I've told her. And ... and you've got to promise not to go mad," she added quickly.

He frowned, " I promise. "

She took a deep breath and then suddenly the words were out.

" I'm pregnant. With your baby. "

It felt like a huge relief to get it said, and Jack's immediate reaction was one of shock. He looked at her with wide eyes and his mouth hung open as he started to say something, but the words couldn't get out.

He shook his head and looked away.

Becky watched him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction.

He seemed to be trying to digest the information, and she was waiting with anticipation for him to say something. She could almost see the cogs turning in his mind, and he seemed to be trying to say something, but struggling, as his mouth kept opening and closing.

After a moment, he turned to look at her, his expression one of pure confusion.

" I'm sorry, could you ... could you ... you're pregnant? "

She nodded.

He nodded too and looked away. His mind was spinning ad there was little time to digest it. He wasn't sure what to think, but one thing came out top, after a moment.

" I'm going to be a dad? " he asked her, a slow smile crossing his face.

Becky nodded, " You're not ... you're not mad? "

He laughed and shook his head, a grin starting to cross his face, " Why would I be mad at you? _I'm _the one that got you pregnant - I've got as much responsibility as you. Oh my God, I'm going to be a dad. " Suddenly his eyes went wide, " You ... you _are _keeping it? "

She nodded quickly, " Of course I am. This might be my only chance to have a baby. "

Jack looked away and ran his hands across his face, " I'm going ... I'm going to have a baby. I'm going to be a dad. Oh my God. Is this... this doesn't feel real. "

" Listen," she said softly as she looked at him, " I was thinking ... it might be a bit ... odd ... us having a baby together, and not _being _together. I don't want to push you - you can have as much or as little involvement as you want. "

" I'm going to be involved," he told her seriously, " Rebecca, I promise I'll be involved. I want to do this properly. I don't care if we're not together - I'm going to be this baby's dad. "

She nodded, " I just ... I just don't want things between us getting in the way and ... you know. "

" It'll be all about the baby," Jack agreed.

He looked away and they sat in silence for a few moments. She could tell Jack was contemplating it all and she wondered how he was feeling - he certainly seemed to have taken it well enough. It was obviously been an initial shock but the thought of being a dad seemed to have thrilled him.

" Wanted to be a dad for years, you know," he said, clearly thinking about it, " obviously not right there and then, but it had always been in the back of my mind for the future. Such a strange feeling. "

She nodded, " I went to see the doctor this week, and I've got a date for the 12 week scan. I don't know if ... um ... if - "

" If I wanted to come? " he asked, " I ... of course. You'll have to write me the date down somewhere - you know I'm no good at stuff like that. "

She smiled a little.

" Um ... how pregnant are you? " he asked her.

" Seven weeks," she replied, " so I guess we're expecting a little summer baby. "

" Oh my God," Jack mumbled, staring at the floor, head in his hands. Becky realised that he needed some time to digest the information, and he just seemed to be thinking about it all.

They sat in silence for a good few minutes, and suddenly Jack turned to look at her.

" I'm going to have to sort my act out, aren't I, if I'm going to have a baby relying on me? " he said, his eyes looking wide and panicky, " to have someone totally depending on you ... "

" Jack, there's time for all that," she said, " we've got several months. "

" I know," he said, " Just ... what do I know about babies? What do either of us know? How can ... how can we do this? " He took a deep breath, " I don't know anything about being a dad. And we don't even have each other to help. Oh ... oh God. "

" Jack! " she hissed, making him look at her. " I've just told you I'm pregnant, you've handled it quite well and _now _you're freaking out? I don't think so. I ... I can't do this on my own - we're going to need each other, and as for you saying we don't have each other ... just because we're not together doesn't mean we can't be there for each other, does it? "

He shook his head, " No. Of course it doesn't. "

" I know we don't know about babies," Becky sighed, " but we'll learn. I ... ever since I found out, I realised that this feels ... right. I ... I just kept thinking that I might never get another chance. "

Jack laughed bitterly, " I don't think it's going to be your last chance, love. Some clever man is going to snap you up as soon as possible. "

She shook her head, briefly thinking about their relationship. She'd always thought she and Jack would have a family - properly, after getting married.

She tried to stop herself thinking about it - she knew it was dangerous to get back into this territory, when there was a baby to think about. She tried to focus on the way she'd felt when she found out about his cheating, but she couldn't.

" Well, I don't know about _that_," she shrugged, " I think I'm going to be busy for the next few years. "

Jack nodded, " Does anyone else know? " he asked.

" Just Tom," she said.

" Should have guessed," Jack said.

" And I suppose now you know, we can tell Maxine - but I don't want everyone knowing for another few weeks. Because I was reading up, and the most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks, so I really should share it after that. "

Jack wasn't sure what to say, and then sat in silence for a few more moments, before Becky stood up, " I'm gonna get a cuppa," she said, " sure you don't want anything? "

" No, no, I'm fine," he said.

She nodded and left him sitting there while she went to make herself a drink. While she was boiling the kettle, she stood in the middle of the room, thinking about how glad she was that Jack had taken the news quite well.

She made her drink, and was raiding the cupboards for something to eat, when after a few minutes, she heard footsteps in the hallway.

She looked around to see Jack standing in the doorway of the kitchen, arms folded casually.

Becky smiled, and Jack looked at her.

" I just realised that I never said congratulations," he said, shaking his head. " Congratulations, love. "

" Thank you," she smiled, just so happy that he wasn't angry or anything.

" Come here," he said, holding out his hand, with a smile filled with genuine pleasure, " can't I at least hug the lovely lady who's going to have my baby? "

She nodded and as she got closer to him, held out her own hand, and he tugged her closer and enveloped her in his big warm arms. She sighed and closed her eyes as she felt his warm arms around her, rubbing her back and squeezing her - Jack was estatic and the hug was so lovely and familiar.

She found herself not wanting to let go, and she rested her head against his chest, finding herself wishing they'd never split up. All thoughts of him and Steph were suddenly non existant and all she wanted was him.

She felt his hand running through her hair, and vaguely wondered if he was having the same kind of thoughts.

She felt his hand settle on her waist, and she sighed a little. After a few moments, they broke apart, and he swiftly leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek, " Congratulations, love. "

She felt her skin tingle and she smiled in thanks, but when she looked at him, the big black bags under his eyes reminded her of all his problems - which had all led to him losing control over himself and cheat.

" Thank you," she said.

He stayed for a while longer, and they chatted about random things, though Becky had to keep reminding herself of what had happenend between them - she didn't hold if against him now, because there was no point, but she wasn't sure if she wanted him back, after what had happened.

When the time came for him to leave, he turned to face her at the door.

" I mean it all," he said, looking at her, " I'm going to sort myself out - I'm going to be a good dad. "

" I know," she nodded.

" Seriously," he said, " I want you to ring me whenever you need me, and I'll be right there. If you need something ... if ... if you don't feel well ... if ... if something wrong ... "

" Jack," she smiled, " its not that I don't appreciate it, but you don't live close enough for me to call you over every little thing. It's ok - I've got Tom. I'll call you for al the big things though. I promise. "

He nodded, " I just want to be here for you. "

She smiled, " Thank you. And thank you for taking it all so well. "

He smiled sadly, as he realised he was going to have to leave, and he wouldn't be seeing her for a while. " Don't thank me," he said, " we're just going to need each other now, aren't we? "

Becky nodded, " Yeah, we are. "

He smiled, " You've got to let me know when your scan is," he said, " I ... I'd love to be there. "

" I'll ring you," she said, " you need to write it down somewhere, where you'll remember it. "

He nodded and then leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

" Bye, Rebecca," he said.

Becky sighed and leant against the doorframe as she watched him walk down the path, away from the house they'd once shared. She watched him get into his car and drive away and she went back into the house, sighing.

She was completely confused as she went into the kitchen.

" Well little baby," she said, laying her hand on her flat stomach, " that was your daddy. "


	15. Scan

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Fifteen

Becky went to work in a good mood on Monday morning, and reported to Tom, that she had spoken to Jack, and he'd been very supportive. Tom was glad to hear it, and he'd told her he'd be there every step of the way, which she knew, anyway.

That night, she'd finished washing up after the dinner she and Maxine ate, and she went into the living room to find Maxine sitting in front of the tv.

Hands on her hips, she stood in the doorway.

" Don't you have some homework to do, Maxy? " she asked.

Maxine tried - and failed - to look innocent, but Becky smiled fondly, coming to sit on the sofa beside her, " It doesn't matter. I think we need to have a little talk, anyway. "

" We do? " Maxine asked.

Becky smiled, " It's nothing to worry about. "

Maxine nodded and Becky took a deep breath as her foster daughter turned to look at her.

" I've got some big news," Becky said, " and it's a shock for all of us, but it's going to be ok. In fact, I think it's going to be great, but I'm really going to need you on board. And it's a secret, until further notice. "

Maxine looked suitably intruiged and shook her head a little, " What's going on? "

Becky reached out and laid her hand on top of Maxine's, " I'm pregnant. "

Maxine's eyes widened and she shook her head, though she seemed more shocked than anything else, which was a relief, as Becky had been expecting her to be upset or even angry.

" Seriously? "

Becky nodded, allowing a smile to cross her face, " Of course it wasn't planned, but ... oh, it's going to be great. Just imagine having a baby around. "

Maxine pulled a face, " That might not be such a great thing, you know. " She frowned, " Hang on, you haven't been seeing anyone. Who's the ... is it _Jack? "_

" Well, yeah," Becky said, " I know it's a bit ... awkward and things could be a bit tricky, but we spoken about it, and he was really supportive. He wants to be a dad to his baby. "

" Oh my God," Maxine said, shaking her head, " the thought of you two doing it. " She grimaced.

Becky laughed, " We're not that old, you know. _I'm _not even 30 - it's not unusual for people of our age to have children. "

Maxine shook her head, " I can't believe you're going to have a baby. "

Becky raised her eyebrows, " How do you feel about it? "

Maxine laughed, " It's so weird ... I ... oh my God, I can't believe there's going to be a baby here. I can't imagine you with a screaming baby. I don't have to share rooms, do I? "

Becky laughed, " Course you don't. I'll clear out the spare room - I'll have to manage without an office from now on. I can make it a nursery. "

" So, d'you want a boy, or a girl? "

" Oh, I don't know," Becky said, shaking her head, " it's all so early. "

" And Jack's ... Jack's alright about it all? "

Becky nodded, " He was totally shocked, of course, but he came round quite quickly. He was thrilled at the thought of being a dad, I think. Oh Maxy, I think we've both realised that this baby's here now - we don't know what's going to happen in the future. This might be the only chance either of us ever get to have a baby, so we're going to do it right. That is, if you're going to help me. Baby's going to need a big sister. "

Maxine smiled, " This ... this is still so weird. "

Becky laughed and the pair of them shared a tight hug. Maxine grinned when they broke apart, and said, " When ... when's the baby coming? "

Becky smiled, " I don't have a date but I guess I'm around eight weeks. I guess there'll be a baby living here by June or July. But I really don't want everyone to know until I've been for my 12 week scan, and I'm sure everything's alright. "

" Ok," nodded Maxine, " I ... oh, this is great if ... if still a little weird. You and Jack are really going to be able to do this, even though you're not together? "

" We're certainly going to try," nodded Becky, " we can make it work. "

The next couple of weeks were filled with Becky dreaming about her baby and the future, while Tom fussed over her when no-one else was around. She appreciated his care, though he was very overprotective when no-one else was around, so he didn't let the cat out of the bag to everyone else.

By the 2nd week of December, Becky had really adjusted to the thought of being a mother, and now 11 weeks pregnant, knew she wouldn't be keeping it to herself for much longer.

She walked into the staffroom one morning and sat down opposite her brother with a sigh.

" Morning," she said to Jasmine and Matt, who were also there, before yawning.

" Tired, then? " Tom asked with a smile.

" Oh yeah," she said, absent mindedly laying a hand on her stomach as she settled into the seat.

" You're always tired these days," Matt said, shaking his head at her, " but listen, we were just talking - fancy going out friday night? Thought we could start out in the pub then head into town. Tom said you wouldn't be up for it, but you are, aren't you? "

Becky looked at Tom briefly and then said, " Well, I'm not sure about going out all night. I think I've got a lot of work to do - I guess I could come to the pub maybe, but I'm really not sure about it. "

" Aw come on," said Matt, pulling a face, " you haven't been out with us in ages! "

She shrugged, " I'll have to think about it. "

Matt nodded, and they left the subject. When the bell rang, Becky stood up and threw her handbag over her shoulder. She then reached down and picked up a bag full of marking, then in her other hand, a bag full of new textbooks she'd had ordered.

" Hey, hey," Tom said, standing up too, " you're not carrying all them. Give me something. "

He took her textbooks and marking from her, and Jasmine and Matt exchanged a confused look, " Um ... Tom? " Jasmine tried, " I think she's old enough to carry her own things. "

Tom nodded, " Yeah I know I just ... well, wouldn't be very gentlemanly if I let her carry them all when I've got spare hands, would it? "

Jasmine and Matt seemed to accept this, and as Becky and Tom were walking down the corridors towards Becky's classroom, she hissed, " Stop making it so obvious."

" What? " he asked, innocently.

She shook her head, " Wanting to take my bags all the time," she said in a hushed voice, " they're all starting to think there's something weird going on around here. "

" Well, I'm sorry for wanting to help you," he said, rolling his eyes, " its just ... you know, the further you get, the more I want to help you. "

" I know," she said, " and you're so sweet. "

As they stopped outside her classroom, she sighed, " God, I'm sorry," she said, " one minute I'm snapping at you, and then I want to hug you - is this normal? "

" It's going to be fine," Tom said, taking her keys out of her hand and unlocking the classroom door for her, and going inside to put her bags down.

" Oh God," she sighed.

" Becks, look at me," he said, reaching out to her, " here, darlin' look at me. "

She nodded and looked at him and he had such a reassuring look as she met his eyes. " It's going to be alright," he told her, " you've come so far, yeah - you've told Jack, you've gotten used to the idea. "

" I know," she nodded, " I ... I think I'll just be happy when I've told everyone, you know? Pressure off and all that. "

He smiled a little, " Becky, you're going for a scan _next week_. Not much more of this keeping secrets and making up rubbish excuses. And actually - you can tell them when you want - it's your baby. "

" No," she said quickly, " I'm not telling them until I know everything's alright. "

Tom nodded, and he kissed her cheek as he passed, on the way to the door, " It's going to be alright, Becks. Just chill out, yeah? "

She nodded, feeling much better.

She'd been making up excuses for why she wasn't going out with them to the pub for weeks, and hadn't been able to keep up to them. She'd ended up going out several times and then saying she was on antibiotics and sticking to non-alcoholic drinks, and that was starting to wear thin.

She'd been tired for a few weeks now, and often moody and snappy, when she was usually rather laidback. She was sure the rest of the staff had noticed something was going on.

Meanwhile at home, maxine had adjusted to the thought of there being a baby in the house, and after a period of initial shock, seemed to have warmed to the idea.

She was happy enough to listen to Becky's excited ramblings about what the baby might be like.

Jack had also been in touch a few times, over the phone, checking up on her.

There had been a few times he'd rung her up and when asked what he wanted, replied he just wanted to know that she and the baby were ok.

She appreciated his concern, but everytime she heard his voice, she felt the walls she'd built up after their split, slowly crumbling, and she knew she was in danger of falling for him again - if she'd ever really been over him.

The third Wednesday in December, Becky was standing in the living room, nervously looking out of the window.

" Um ... Becky? " Maxine asked from behind her.

" Yes, sweetie? " Becky asked, pulling back the curtains.

" Your appointment's not while this afternoon, is it? " Maxine asked, throwing her school bag onto her shoulder.

" Um ... no," Becky said with a sigh, " no it's not. I guess I'm just nervous ... I'm just waiting for Jack. I just wish the time would get a move on. I ... I just want to go see my baby. I want to know he or she is alright. "

Today was the day of Becky's scan, and Jack would be going with her. Becky had told Rachel she had a medical appointment she couldn't miss, and Rachel had generously given her the whole day off.

Becky planned on telling everyone about the baby the very next day.

" I can give you a lift to school, if you want," she told her foster daughter, " since I'm not busy this morning. "

" It's ok," Maxine said, " I'm going to walk, with Janeece. Will Jack be here when I get back from school? "

" I'm not sure what his plans are," said Becky, " it'll depend if he's got any plans for later on, I suppose. But if you don't see him today, you're staying with him this weekend anyway, aren't you? "

Maxine nodded, " Yeah. I'm going to help him do his christmas shopping - he's useless. "

Becky nodded. She hadn't forgotten that last year, Maxine had gone with Jack to make sure he'd picked out some nice presents for everyone, since Becky herself had been away with Izzie and Lorna and Tom.

She bit her lip a little, whe she remembered that Jack had proposed to her over Christmas, last year, and they should have been getting married this Christmas.

She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head and smiled at Maxine, " Well, I'm sure you'll sort him out, sweetie. Have a good day at school, won't you? I'll give your dad your love. "

She caught up on some marking, and when the doorbell rang, she ran down the steps (knowing Tom would have told her off for it, if he was there) to answer it.

She threw open the door to be faced with Jack.

" Hi," he said with a big smile - this meeting much less awkward than their meeting weeks ago, when she told him of her pregnancy, since they'd since spoken several times on the phone.

" Hi Jack," she said, stepping back so he could come in.

" How's my little baby? " he asked, as he closed the door behind him.

Becky smiled a little - she and Jack had gotten over their awkwardness, having realised that if they were having a baby together, they were going to have to get along.

" Baby's fine," she said, leading him into the kitchen, smiling a little.

" And how's baby's mummy? " he asked, watching her stuff things into a handbag, which was sitting on the table.

Becky smiled a little at how sweet he was. She was quite suprised at how they'd managed to go from not being together, and from her hating him for it, to something that resembled friendship, because they were going to need each other.

She laughed, " Mummy's fine too. Although I'm starting to feel horrible and fat," she sighed, " none of my clothes are fitting properly anymore. "

" Rubbish," he scoffed, as she took her coat from the back of her chair and started to put it on. He shook his head, " Becky, you're pregnant, you're not fat. "

He looked her up and down - she looked like she'd gained a bit of weight, but she didn't look pregnant yet.

" You _have _to say that," she sighed, " you're like legally obligated to, aren't you? "

He chuckled, " I'm not sure it's the law, but I'm serious - you look beautiful. You're kind of ... you know ... glowing. "

She shook her head, " Jack," she said, " I'm almost 30 years old. You don't have to lie to me. " She checked her handbag one last time for everything and then looked at him, " let's go," she said.

He smiled and rested his hand against the small of her back in a vaguely protective gesture, as they left the house and got into his car.

He asked her about the school as they journeyed to the hospital, and they found themselves in a very easily flowing conversation.

When they got to the hospital, they sat down together, and Becky was nervously ringing out her hands.

" Rebecca," Jack said, shaking his head, " will you just calm down? "

She looked at him with wide eyes, " Aren't you nervous? We're ... we're going to see our baby! What if something's wrong? We need to see the baby to know everything's alright. "

" Calm," he said, eyeing her hands, which she was still nervously ringing out. He eventually took hold of one of her hands to stop her, and he slowly put it down on her knee, " calm. "

She nodded, though she felt her heart jump at his touch.

A while later, Becky was nervously laying down on the bed, with the nurse standing by. She took a deep breath as the cold gel was spread across her stomach, and they waited.

Becky waited to see the first image of her baby, and she could feel Jack standing beside her somewhere. When the ultrasound image appeared, Becky gasped.

She couldn't possibly have been ready for this experience, and she suddenly felt so thrilled. She gasped and she couldn't take her eyes from the screen.

The nurse smiled, " I'll leave you two alone," she said, before leaving the room.

Becky couldn't stop looking at the screen and this was the first time that the baby had felt real. She now felt like this was really happening and she felt her eyes welling up.

" Jack," she breathed, turning to look at him, " Jack it's our baby. "

Jack nodded, his own eyes filling with tears too.

Becky sniffed and slowly took hold of his hand. " It's our baby. " She ignored the fact that they could see little more than a blob - it was perfect, and it was theirs.

He squeezed her hand, " Isn't it amazing? " he mumbled, " that's ... that's growing inside you. "

She nodded, making to effort to wipe away the new tears that fell, and unable to get rid of the huge grin from her face.

" Oh God," she said, squeezing his hand, " oh Jack ... thank you. "

He laughed, squeezing her hand in return, " What're you thanking me for? "

She shook her head, " I ... I don't _know. " _She looked back at the screen and sighed in contentment as she looked at image of her unborn child, " giving me _this. "_

He shook his head fondly, " Don't thank me. It's not like ... it's not like I did it on purpose. "

" Oh Jack," she said, ignoring his last comment, " is it possible to love something this much, when you don't even know it? "

" Must be," he said, picking her hand up and kissing the back of it.

They left the scan impossibly happy, and Jack draped his arm around Becky's shoulders as they left. They went back to Becky's and sat down in the kitchen, where they had a cup of tea each.

" 13th of July," Jack said, " our little baby. "

Becky smiled, " It's all so surreal. I'm going to have to start buying things, start getting ready. "

" Listen," Jack said seriously, " anything you need, tell me, and I'll give you the money for it. You've got me every step of the way, I'll give you as much money as you need. "

" From where? " she asked, shaking her head, " Jack, you don't even have a proper job. You're working part time in a bar. " Before he could say anything, she pulled a face, " Sorry, that sounded really snappy, didn't it? "

He shook his head, " Well, it's not like it's not true. I'm looking for something ... I really am, Becky. I just can't get back into teaching until I sort my head out. "

" And how's that going? " she asked him.

" Getting there," he said, " the nightmares are still there, the cold sweats are still there, but they're less often. This counsellor I've got is pretty good. I'm going to sort myself out for the baby. I ... I want to get back into teaching. "

" I know," she said with a grin, " you're an amazing teacher. "

" I'm going to sort my head out, then try and get back into teaching," he told her, " and I'm going to be able to give you as much money as you need. "

She smiled in appreciation.

He didn't stay for much longer, and when they were saying goodbye at the door, he hugged her, and then reaching out to her stomach.

" Can I ... ? " he started, awkwardly.

She nodded, " Yeah. Though I hope you're not expecting to feel anything just yet. "

He smiled at she felt his warm hand against her stomach and she watched as he closed his eyes a little. " Bye bye baby," he said quietly, " look after mummy for me. "

She laughed as he then looked at her, " And you look after baby for me, yeah? "

She nodded, " Then you look after Maxine when she comes to yours this weekend. "

" Darling, don't I always? " he asked with a cheeky grin, " of course I will. See you soon, I guess. "

When he was gone, Becky went back into the kitchen and she pulled the scan picture out of her purse.

She was beaming with pride as she looked at it, and she slowly put it back into her purse, so she could see it all the time.


	16. End of Term

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Sixteen

Becky had meant to tell everyone about her pregnancy the very next day, but with Rachel away on a course, she wasn't sure that she should tell everyone the news without telling her boss.

So she decided she would start telling people on Friday, which was the last day before they broke up for the two week christmas break.

That morning Becky went to school in a very good mood. She knew everyone was going to be very busy today - Rachel and Eddie had a meeting, and there was a big dress rehearsal to do for the musical, which would be taking place that evening.

She resolved to telling everyone after school, when they were all together.

On her way up to the staffroom, she saw Donte in the corridor.

" Morning Becky! " he said with a smile, one arm slung around the girl next to him - Celine Dixon, a girl Becky had seen him with quite frequently, and wondered if there was something going on.

" Morning," she smiled in return, " how're you doing? "

" Good," he nodded, " I um ... did some christmas shopping the other day, so I hope I've bought you something that you'll actually like. Unlike last year. "

Becky laughed when she remembered the present he'd bought her last year, " Sweetie, I loved what you bought me last year, it was just that Jack had bought me exactly the same. "

She remembered the look on his face when he'd called around to see them on Christmas day and gave her a present, watching as she opened it, then realising she was wearing the same necklace she was unwrapping.

" Well," Donte shrugged, " I suppose there's not much danger of me and Rimmer you the same thing anyway now, is there? "

" I suppose," she agreed, " see you later, anyway. "

She went up to the staffroom, and as she walked in, went over to the kitchen area, where Tom was standing.

" Morning," she said, opening the fridge and looking for something to drink.

" Hey darlin'," he said with a smile, " everything alright? "

She nodded and put down her bags - a big bag full of new textbooks, and a bag full of pastoral care reports that she'd taken home to go through.

As Tom looked at them, he shook his head, " What have I _told _you about carrying stuff? " he demanded, " you're going to do yourself an injury. I wish you'd look after yourself. "

" I _am _looking after myself," she said.

Tom groaned, " You're impossible. I must have the most difficult little sister in the world. "

She stuck her tounge out, " And I must have the most overprotective, fussy big brother in the world. Though I suppose you're right, and I _should _start employing you to carry my things everywhere. "

He laughed, " Anytime. "

She nodded and he looked her up and down, " Is that a nice new outfit I see? " he asked teasingly.

She nodded again as she poured her drink, and she pulled a face, " Only because most of my clothes aren't even fitting anymore. Everyone must just think I'm getting fat. "

Tom chuckled, " Don't talk rubbish," he said, " you don't even look like you've put much weight on. And they're going to find out today anyway, aren't they? "

Becky turned around to face him, watching him making his coffee, " Just saw Donte in the corridor with Celine," she said, " are they like ... a thing now? "

He shrugged, " I don't know. Chlo seems to think so. "

" Poor Chlo," she said quietly - she suspected that Chlo still loved Donte and it must be hard to see him with someone else.

Tom nodded and before they could say anything else, the doors opened, and a stressed looking Matt walked in, followed by Steph and Jasmine, who both looked like they were trying to calm him down.

Steph wandered into the kitchen area to make herself a drink, and with a slight scowl, Becky went around to the other side of the counter.

She and Steph were hardly at war, but they just stayed out of each others ways as much as possible. Becky couldn't go around hating her forever, but she certainly refused to talk to her unless it was neccessary.

The only time they ever interacted was when there was a large conversation with everyone else.

And with her pregnancy, Becky had started thinking about how much better everything would have been if she and Jack had never split up. If he'd never slept with Steph. Although she knew it was as much Jack's fault as it was Steph's, she couldn't help but wish Steph had never met Jack.

" How're things looking for the musical tonight, Matt? " Becky asked him, as she stood next to him, leaning back against the counter, " I can't wait to see it. "

Matt sighed, " Well we've got the cast, the costumes, the script, the music, but we've got to try and put them all together yet. We're in rehearsals all day, and with Mika joining so late to replace Alesha, it's going to be quite hectic. "

" Well, I for one am looking forwards to seeing Mika shine," she said, " do you still want me to help out backstage? "

Matt had asked her earlier in the week, to help out with making sure the kids had the props and costumes at the right time.

" Oh yeah," he replied, " I think we're going to need a nice calming influence backstage. "

They spoke a bit more about the musical, and Jasmine looked around the room, " Hey, where's Eddie? Matt, wasn't he supposed to be overseeing backstage? "

Becky shook her head, sipping her drink, " Nah, him and Rachel have got their big meeting with the governors - trying to officially gain enterprise college status. "

Jasmine nodded and Tom sighed and leant over the counter, " Well I for one, am certainly looking forward to the end of term. Be ngreat to finally get a break. "

Becky sighed, " Well deserved, I reckon. "

Jasmine looked around at them all - including Steph, who was lingering in the background a little, to stay away from Becky, who she felt uncomfortable and sort of guilty around, still.

" So is everyone coming out tonight then? " Jasmine asked.

" Yeah," Steph said with a grin, " it's like end of term tradition, isn't it? "

Becky didn't say anything, though the others all agreed and Matt looked at her, " What's this weeks excuse? "

" Hey! " she said, " I came out on Tuesday. "

" And didn't drink," he replied.

She shrugged, " Look, would I miss a few traditional end of term drinks? Of course I'll be there. " She didn't add that she wouldn't be drinking - she planned on revealing her secret after work.

They soon got on to talking about what everyone was doing on christmas day.

When Jasmine asked Becky, Becky looked at Tom. " Maxy and I are going to Tom's for Christmas day," she said.

" You're not cooking, Tom? " asked Steph.

Tom laughed, " Becky and I are going to try and cook it together. Neither of us have ever cooked Christmas dinner, so it could be interesting. "

" How have you _never _had to cook it? " Jasmine asked, laughing.

Becky shrugged, " When I was growing up, my mum cooked, then when I was at uni, I came home and she was still cooking it for me every year, then by the time she was dead, Tom and Lorna were together, so she cooked, and last year Izzie did it. "

Tom nodded, " I think the most important thing this year is make sure the girls are ok. It's going to be a weird one. "

Becky sighed, " Their first christmas without their mum, and of course Lorna died this time last year, and she was our friend, and Jack and I should have been getting married this christmas, so it's certainly going to be a weird one. "

Tom smiled at her, " I'm sure we'll manage though. As long as we don't poison anyone, it should be ok. "

She laughed and when the bell went, went to pick up her bags.

" Hey," Tom said sharply, in his best big brother voice. She turned around to face him, rolling her eyes and she held out her bag, which he took from her. She went to pick up the other and he shook his head and took it from her.

" What have I told you? " he demanded.

She almost had to laugh at him being so protective, because it was rather cute, and she followed him out of the room.

The timetable had been messed with for the day so that the teachers who needed to oversee the musical rehearsals could be free, and as such, Becky was able to go to the assembaly hall.

The rehearsals were quite hectic.

Matt was in the middle of the hall, listening to those onstage going though their lines, while backstage, Becky had a list of costumes and was putting them all in some kind of order, so they'd be able to find them later on.

Time seemed to go by quite quickly, and when Matt had sorted out some of the little problems, he decided to try going through things in order.

Becky went to stand off stage, but at the side so she could see what was going on. She took her box of props with her so she could get ready to give them out.

Davina and Karla were by the side of the stage too - Karla had a copy of the script and was ready to give out the lines to anyone who forgot them, and was also in charge of the sound effects. Davina was standing with her to make sure everything went to plan.

On stage, Matt had got the kids in a circle, along with Steph and Tom, who both had small parts in the play.

Matt was having them do warm ups, and as Becky and Davina watched them, Tom looked over. Becky realised he was only looking at Davina, and she didn't miss the big grin he gave her, or the smile Davina returned.

She wondered if something might be going on. Tom hadn't even thought about women since Izzie's death before the summer, but Becky thought that Davina - a woman he spoke to on a regular basis and got along with - might turn out to be a good match for him.

" I think Mr Clarkson's got special eyes for you," Karla told Davia insightfully, causing Becky to snigger rather unprofessionally.

Davina shrugged, " I think Mr Clarkson's just a bit of a show off. "

Becky laughed, and at break time, she was in her office doing a bit of paperwork. Tom came to join her and sat there trying to distract her while she told him she really needed to get this finished by the end of the day.

Meanwhile in the staffroom, Davina sat down with Jasmine, Matt and Steph.

" You missed it this morning," Matt told Davina, " they were being weird again. "

Jasmine rolled her eyes, " Hey, I thought we'd agreed to stop talking about it. She's supposed to be our friend, so we shouldn't be talking about her. And Tom'd go mad if he knew. "

" That's why we're talking while he's not here," Matt pointed out.

" So what did I miss? " Davina asked, shaking her head.

" Well, we got her to agree to come out tonight," said Matt, " which was a suprise, bless her, but then when the bell rang, she went to pick up her bags, and Tom told her off, and took them off her. "

" Maybe she's ill," offered Davina, " in fact, maybe we should just _ask _her. "

Steph leant forwards, " I'm not being mean, but don't you think she's put some weight on recently? "

Jasmine shook her head, " We really should stop talking about her. I mean, I agree that there's something odd going on, but if she doesn't want to tell us, it's down to her. "

Davina looked at Jasmine, " But Jas, we were only saying what Steph just said, the other day, weren't we? "

They fell into a short silence, and Matt shook his head, " It's just weird - we've been saying it for weeks. Tom won't let her carry anything, and he won't leave her alone - he's always fussing over her, asking her if she's alright. " His eyes suddenly light up as he started to suspect, " and when was the last time anyone actually saw her touch any alcohol? I think ... do you think she might be pregnant? "

They all considered it for a moment, then shook their heads.

" No way," Davina said, " she'd have told us if she was. "

Steph shrugged, " And anyway, she hasn't had a boyfriend since ... since Jack ... " she trailed off, feeling guilty as she remembered exactly why Becky and Jack had broken up.

" And I don't think she's one for keeping secrets," Jasmine said, " and she lives with Maxine- Maxine can't keep secrets. "

They all dismissed the thought of pregnancy as soon as they'd thought of it.

After break, everyone went back to rehearsals, and Becky was sitting in the front row in the assembaly hall, while the kids went through their lines. She and Jasmine sat side by side, with Steph behind them, all three of the making sure it all looked alright to the audience.

While Brett and Mika were going through a scene, the doors of the hall opened, and Rachel came in.

" Matt, can I have a word? " she asked, quickly walking down the middle of the hall. Matt turned away from the stage and nodded, and Rachel wandered over to Steph, Jasmine and Becky.

" Matt," she said, " I'm sorry, but you're going to have to put on a matinee performance this afternoon. "

Everyone was stunned, and the kids, who were all on stage by now, all immediately started moaning, while eve the staff couldn't help but think it was ridiculous.

" Is this some kind of joke? " Matt asked.

" No, I'm afraid not," Rachel said.

" No! " Matt exclaimed, " look at the time - we're not ready. We haven't had one proper rehearsal, the kids don't know half the lines! "

" This is an emergency," Rachel told him firmly, " we've got a room full of VIPS waiting to be entertained. "

" I don't care," Matt said, " that's not our problem or our fault. "

Rachel shook her head, " Needs must. You've got about 2 hours I suppose. "

" This is mad," Matt told her, runing his hand through her hair, while everyone else couldn't help but agree, " we're going to put a full performance on in front of a dozen or so people? "

" Well, that's where Steph can help," Rachel said, nodding at Steph, " she can do a trawl of the local area, with Jasmine, while Becky stays here and helps you man the rehearsals. "

Matt sighed and turned back to the stage, " Alright everyone, go get into your costumes! We're in front of an audience this afternoon! "

As the kids all moaned and trailed off the stage, Becky looked at Rachel, " Maybe you could take Maxine and Janeece. You know what they're like - they know loads of people. If they tell their mates theres a concert on, they'll come. Especially if we chuck on some free food or something. "

The rest of the day was extremely busy.

Becky found herself putting last minute touches to costumes, and having to completely change some of them. She was hurrying around everywhere as she looked for the right props, and even found herself touching up some of the scenery with a bit of paint in the afternoon.

With little more than half an hour to go before the show started, everyone backstage was running riot.

As Matt and Steph frantically tried to get around everyone and make sure they all knew their lines, Becky was started to get stressed out. At least three kids in a row came up to her asking her where this was and where that was, and she was starting to get a little dazed.

She had to admit that this pregnancy was making her sometimes forgetful and less able to concentrate than usual.

" Miss! D'you know where my hat is? " one boy asked her.

The moment she'd replied, Brett was standing in front of her, " Have you seen that jacket I need? "

She nodded, but with the show nearing, before long she had three or four pupils stood around her, all asking her for different things and all talking over the top of each other.

She frowned and took a deep breath, rubbing at her head with one hand as she tried to focus.

From across the room, Matt noticed she was looking out of sorts as he looked around. He went over to her, and watched as she told all the kids where their things were. When they were gone, he raised his eyebrows.

" Everything alright? " he asked her.

She looked at him and she tried to say something, but she shook her head and took a deep breath. Her hand was on her forehead and she closed her eyes as she tried to concentrate.

" Becky? " he asked, " you feeling alright? "

She nodded, reaching out and feeling for him, for some support. " Y-yeah," she said, " I just need a rest, I think," as her hand found his arm, and she clutched at his forearm.

" You look ... you look like you're about to faint," Matt said.

Becky opened her eyes to reply, and when she looked around, she saw that Tom was rushing over to them.

" What's going on? " he asked.

Becky shook her head, her grip on Matt's arm loosening as Tom grabbed her arm when he got to her side. " Becky, you alright? "

" I'm fine," she said, looking at Tom, " I just need a rest. Haven't sat down in a while - think I've been trying to do too much this afternoon. " She looked at Matt, " I'm sorry," she said, " it's ... just hormones and that ... I'm a bit distracted. "

He nodded, " As long as you're alright," he said.

Matt walked off, wondering what was going on around here, and Tom fixed Becky with a glare, making her roll her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her to the side of the room, where no one else was nearby.

" What have I told you? " he demanded, shaking his head.

She sighed, " Tom, I'm fine. "

" You look a bit pale," he said, " I think you should have a sit down. I know you've worked yourself too hard this afternoon - it's not good for you. "

" Ok, I'll have a sit down if it makes you feel better," she said, to which he firmly nodded. She smiled a little, lowering her voice, " honestly, the way you go on, anyone would think you were baby's daddy, not the uncle. "

He shook his head, " Becks, can you blame me for being overprotective? You're all I've got other than the girls. After everything that's happened in the last few years - dad died, Lorna pretended to have a miscarriage, then she died, Izzie had a miscarriage, and she died. I've got the girls but I'm never going to have a baby. Not now. So I'm going to be the best uncle there ever was - and if that means not leaving you alone from now until the summer, then so be it. "

She nodded, finally understanding why he was being so protective and why he felt the need to constantly be watching her.

" Aw Tommy," she sighed, throwing her arms around him.

He smiled and hugged her back, and ten minutes before the show started, Becky was sitting on a chair, the script on her knee, pen in her hand, and Mika's hand in her other.

Mika was worried about forgetting some of her lines, so Becky had suggested she write the lines on her hands.

Matt got up in front of the room and shouted at them all to listen to him.

When he had everyone's attention, he looked around.

" Ok," he said, " Everyone ready? Just give it your best shot - I know you can do this. "

Becky watched from the side of the stage as the pupils performed the first act for the rather impressive audience they'd managed to get from the local area, along with the governors sitting in the front row.

During the interval, she was backstage putting away some of the costumes the kids had changed out of, and as she folded them up, she saw Tom and Davina talking across the room. She smiled a little as she looked down, and when she looked back up, Tom was wandering towards her.

" So," she said with a grin, " you and Davina? "

" What _about _me and Davina? " he asked, though she could see the blush rising in his cheeks.

She shrugged, " I don't know. It just looks like you're sharing a few flirty little smiles and ... well ... something going on there? "

He looked a little embarrassed, " I'm not sure about that. "

She shook her head, " So that's _not _a no. "

Tom shook his head at her, trying to change the subject, " So," he said mimicking her, " you and Jack? "

She narrowed her eyes, though there was a good natured smile on her face, " Cheap shot," she said, " but I get it, I'll stop. "

Becky watched the 2nd half from backstage and when it was over, she was struck by the fact that the kids had all done so well, and they had really seemed to enjoy it. She was especially proud of Mika - her almost niece - and she thought everyone had done well.

When the show was over Becky, Jasmine, Davina and Tom watched from the side of the stage as Rachel walked onto the stage - the whole cast behind her, with Matt in front of them all.

As applause lifted the roof of the hall, Matt gestured for them to come on stage too, and everyone involved in the musical was there.

Rachel grinned at Matt and then turned to the face both the audience and the cast and crew.

" I'd like to give a massive thank you to Waterloo Road's music and drama department for putting on this performance without much notice. And of course, a very big thank you to it's creator ad director - Mr Matt Wilding. "

Everyone clapped for Matt, and when Matt took to the microphone, he told the kids how proud he was of them, thanked them all, then thanked Steph, Jasmine, Tom, Becky and Davina.

After the musical, the staff all retreated to the staffroom, where they got their things and prepared to leave for the end of the term. It was ten minutes after the end of day bell had rung and as most of the pupils had left, the staff were gathering their belongings up and tidying the staffroom.

" So," Grantly said, after putting his mug back on the worktop, " to the pub. I think we all need a drink after a term like that. "

They all made their way to the pub - most of them walking, as the pub was just down the road.

Becky had seen Maxine earlier in the day and told her she'd be going out after work, and Maxine had decided to go to Janeece's. Becky walked to the pub alongside Jasmine and Tom, and when they got to there, Rachel and Eddie were standing at the bar.

" Ah," Eddie grinned, seeing most of the staff walk in at the same time, " here we are. First drinks are on me. "

Everyone cheered.

Becky laughed as she was the first to approach the bar and came to stand between her two fellow members of senior management.

" How did the meeting go? " Becky asked the pair of them.

Rachel smiled, " Rebecca, we have just gained enterprise college status. Just think how much the three of us have achieved this term - I think we make a good team. "

As Eddie handed Rachel a drink, she lifted it, " To the rest of the school yeah, eh? "

" What're you drinking, Becky? " Eddie asked her.

" It's just orange juice for me," she replied.

When she'd got her drink, she moved out of the way, knowing her friends had noticed she was without alcohol again. Eddie got the drinks in for everyone, and soon a big group of them were stood around at the bar.

Becky looked around at Tom, Jasmine, Davina, Eddie, Rachel, Matt, Steph and Grantly, who were all enjoying their drinks and then around at the rest of the staff.

This was the moment, and she couldn't wait for everyone to know now.

She was stopped from interrupting the conversation about who was doing what for Christmas, when her mobile rang. She pulled out her phone and she smiled a little when she saw the name on the screen.

" Jack," she said, as she answered it, " Hi. "

She felt everyone else's eyes on her at the sound of his name, and she knew they were all curious - as far as they knew, she'd had nothing to do with Jack other than their contact over Maxine.

" Hi," he replied, " how're you doing? How's my little baby? "

She smiled, " Good, it's all good. " She'd only seen him two days ago and couldn't help but wonder what on earth he wanted.

" Listen," he said, " I've got to go to work in a minute, so I'll make it quick but I had to get in touch with you before tomorrow. Just, my mum and dad are coming to my brother's for dinner on sunday, so I thought it might be nice if I could show them the scan. Do you have a copy? "

" Oh sure," she said, smiling at the thought of it, " course I have. I'll make sure Maxine has it on her when she comes up tomorrow. "

" Great," he said, " thanks, love. I'd talk for longer, but I really have to go to work. "

She smiled, " It's ok," she said, " I'm just down the pub anyway, with everyone. End of term and all that. "

" Oh," he said, " yeah course. " He took a pause, and she knew he was considering the fact that this time last year _they'd _have been in the pub at the end of term. " You're not _drinking? "_

" Jack, don't be stupid. Course I'm not. "

" Right," he said, " well, I'd beter go. Talk soon. Look after yourself. "

" See, talk soon," she said, " bye. "

When she hung up, everyone was looking at her, and she knew they were all wondering what was going on.

" I, um, didn't realise you still spoke to Jack? " Eddie said, breaking the curious silence, " you know, other than because of Maxine. "

Becky smiled a little. She looked around at everyone, and then she grinned, " Well," she said, " I think there's something you should all know. "

She had everyone attentions and they were all looking at her, some curious, and some confused.

She smiled, " I've been wanting to share some news with you for a while, but I didn't want to tell you straight away. I think the time is more than right now, so ... " she grinned, " Jack and I are expecting a baby! "

Everyone around her burst into cries of congratulations and laughter, and she giggled as she saw the looks on everyone's faces - there was quite a lot of suprise, a little realisation, and a lot for happiness for her.

" You're not ... back together? " she heard Steph ask - Steph didn't look happy - she just looked suprised more than anything else.

Becky shook her head, feeling Tom's comforting arm around her, " We're not back together, no, but we're in touch and we're friends now, for the sake of the baby. It looks like we concieved the week we split up, so in about 6 months, I'm going to have a baby! "

" Oh Rebecca," Rachel said, as Rachel was closest to her, " congratulations. "

Becky smiled, " Thank you. "

Everyone exploded into congratulations again, and Becky found herself overwhelmed by her friends and collegues hugging her and wishing her well. Matt, Jasmine and Davina were all estatic and offered her big warm hugs, and Eddie gave her hug too - she even found herself getting a hug from Rachel.

Becky wasn't especially friends with Rachel - she'd never really warmed to the headmistress and only spoke when they had to. Grantly offered her his congratulations and told her to pass them on to Jack.

" When are you due? " Rachel asked with a smile, " this is fantastic news, Rebecca. "

" July," she replied, " which is great because it means I'll need hardly any time off at the end of the school year. "

Rachel shook her head, " Becky, it's not about maternity leave. We can sort that out later - there's not going to be any arguments about how much time you have off. It's just such good news. "

Becky smiled and as everyone kept wishing her well and asking her questions, she could feel herself welling up with tears.

" So, how did Jack take it? " Grantly asked.

Those who'd known Jack were curious about it, and couldn't help but think it was a shame they were no longer together. Everyone knew why they'd split up, and everyone also knew that they'd made a great couple.

" Oh, he was thrilled," Becky told everyone, her eyes welling up at the thought of it, " he's been so supportive. He came and held my hand at the scan the other day and he's calling to check up on me a few times a week. He's just dead excited. "

Eddie nodded, " You'll make excellent parents. "

What he didn't add was that he wondered if they'd be able to ever make it up. They'd fallen out, and everyone wondered if they still had the connection they'd once had, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask.

" So, d'you think you want a boy or a girl? " Davina aked.

Becky shrugged, " I'd honestly be happy with either. "

Everyone was so happy for her, and as someone bought her another - non alcoholic - drink, she didn't notice Steph slinking off from them to sit down. Matt was the only one to really notice, and he followed her.

" What's up with you? " he asked her.

Steph shook her head, " What d'you think? Rebecca Clarkson's pregnancy. "

Matt shook his head in disbelief, " You're upset because she's pregnant? Are you for real? Steph, you're my friend, but I don't think you've got a right to be jealous of this - they were together for two years. You helped ruin their relationship - do you want to try and stick your oar in this too? "

Steph shook her head at him with a scoff, " Oh Matt, I'm not _jealous _of her! I think she'll be a great mother. And she probably deserves it. "

" Then what? "

Steph sighed, " I feel so ... guilty. "

" You? Guilt? I didn't know you, um, had that emotion," Matt said.

Steph sighed again, shaking her head, " I just mean she's going to bring a baby into the world, and because of me, that baby's not going to grow up with a proper family. God, Matt, if I hadn't been so selfish ... if I hadn't just _had _to have him ... they'd still be together, wouldn't they? "

" We don't know that for sure," Matt said, though he thought it was highly likely, but felt he couldn't say that to her, " and you certainly can't do anything about it now. "

She shook her head, " It's just ... well, if it wasn't for me, they'd be getting married, and their baby would be able to grow up with two parents who love each other. "

Matt wasn't quite sure what to say, " Steph, it's in the past. I don't even think Becky resents you for it much anymore - even _she _knows that it's in the past. "

Steph shook her head, " I just can't help but feel guilty. "

Matt smiled a little and he rubbed her arm, " Come on, you'll have to let it go. Becky and Jack had this ... well you know, they were amazing together ... if they're meant to be together, it'll happen. I've got a feeling that where they're concerned, they'll work themselves out. "

Steph nodded, and Matt shook his head, " Come on," he said, " if you feel that guilty, maybe the best thing you can do it try and be a friend to her or something. "

" Doubt she wants to be _my _friend," Steph said.

" Then you could at least be civil to her," he said, " I hear Maxine's not doing so good in french - maybe you could offer her some private tutition. She might be grateful for it. "

Steph felt a little better, but made a point to go and congratulate Becky later.

Becky meanwhile was still being hugged by her friends, and they were all gathered around asking her questions and offering congratulations.

As she and Tom sat down after a while, she smiled and rested her hand on her stomach.

" Well baby," she said, " they were all my friends from work. They might be your teachers one day. And if we're very lucky, they might buy you lots and lots of presents when you're born. "

Tom laughed, " Do you always talk to the baby? "

" Yeah," Becky replied, " I want him or her to know me! "

Tom smiled, " That's cute. "

They fell into a short silence, and Becky noticed Davina watching him from across the bar. She looked at him, and he seemed fairly oblivious. " Tom," she sighed, " why don't you go buy her a drink? "

He looked at her innocently, and she shook her head, " Davina - go buy her a drink, you've been staring at each other all night. If I can't have a boyfriend, I'm at least going to match-make for everyone else. "

He laughed and kissed her cheek before going to do as he was told.

**Author's Note: The 2nd half of this story will involve Becky coping with her pregnancy and possibly a few more appearances from Jack. It might also involve a reunion between Becky and Jack - possibly masterminded by Becky's friends and family - to coincide with the fire at the end of the term. **

**Jack will be getting a new job at some point at the end of the year - in time for series 4, which I'm also hoping to write -, in a school, though I'm undecided whether he should be a headmaster at another school, or some kind of history teacher job at Waterloo Road, so he'd still be around all the time - this is something I'm really not sure about. Please let me know.**

**There should also be some relationship between Davina and Tom, Mika turning into an eco-warrior, and the birth of the baby. **

**Let me know if you've got any ideas.**


	17. January

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Seventeen

Becky had found christmas a mix of emotions this year. She'd always absolutely loved christmas, and this year she and Tom worked together to make christmas dinner for the pair of them, Chlo, Mika and Maxine.

The girls had coped well with their first christmas without their mum, and the fact that they had a ton of mock exams to revise for seemed to give them something to focus on.

Becky had thought on several occasions that by next christmas, she'd have her baby. Maybe next christmas, she and Jack would be spending it together - they'd already said they didn't want to get into rows over custody, so she imagined them spending it together.

She'd taken a moment on christmas eve, to think that this should have been her wedding day.

Jack had phoned on christmas day to wish her a merry christmas, and then to speak to Maxine. Since then, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him.

Jack was the the only person she'd ever loved like she did, and she kept wondering how thing would have turned out if it wasn't for Steph. No doubt they'd be together. They'd be married now.

She'd tried to keep those thoughts out of her head but when she went back to work in January, she couldn't shake the thought that she should have been Mrs Rimmer by now, and starting the year with Jack at her side.

Still, she had the baby to look forward to.

The day after telling the staff about her pregnancy, she'd gone around to Tom's to find that the girls already knew. They'd found out from Maxine, who had ended up telling her friends as soon as she knew Becky had told everyone.

The girls were very happy for her, and quite glad to have an explanation for the amount of times they'd heard Tom lecturing her about looking after herself.

Donte had been at Becky's a few days after her revelation, for dinner, and she'd told him the news. He'd been very suprised, and offered to go around and beat up whoever had got her pregnant and then left her, and she'd pointed out that Jack was the dad, and she'd split up with him. Donte had never been very fond of Jack, but he knew Becky would make a good mother and congraulated her.

Now as she walked into school, Becky tried to plaster a smile across her face. Now 14 weeks pregnant, she was starting to show, and she was very proud of her little bump.

She knew she had a management meeting first thing, and as she walked down the corridors, she heard her name called from behind her.

She turned around to see Eddie walking towards her, and she smiled as he caught up to her.

" Becky! Have you heard? " he asked as they started to walk.

" Um ... heard? " she asked, confused.

" So that's a no," Eddie filled in, " Rachel left me a message this morning - the office got broken into. "

Becky shook her head, " No way. How are things? "

Eddie shrugged, " I don't know. I was just going up there to ask. "

She nodded, " Well, we should get a move on then. "

As she and Eddie hurried towards the office, he glanced at her. " You look great, by the way," he told her, eyeing her bump. She smiled - she didn't have much to show yet for her 14 weeks, but it was obvious that she was pregnant to anyone who looked at her properly.

As they got to the stop of the stairs, they saw Rachel with a few police officers, and just as they reached her, the police officers walked back down the stairs.

" Hey, we've just heard," Becky said as she looked at a very stressed out Rachel.

Eddie nodded, " I got your messages. How much did they get? "

" Not a thing," Rachel replied, shaking her head as they started to walk towards her office.

Becky frowned, suprised, " That's odd - to break in and not want anything. Petty cash? "

" Nothing's been touched," Rachel shrugged, " just vandals. What a lovely welcome back, eh? "

As they walked through the outer office and into her office, she turned around to smile at them both. " Anyway," she said, " Rebecca, how was your christmas? "

Becky nodded, " Good. Nice to have some time off. "

" Eddie? " Rachel prompted.

He smiled, " It was fine. "

" Only fine? " asked Rachel with an amused smile.

He laughed, " Well, then it was more than fine. I got to spend some time with my lad, now my ex-wife is actually letting me have some contact. Anyway, are you all geared up for your visit? "

Rachel nodded, " Hopefully it'll be their only visit. "

Becky scoffed as she thought of the lads in question - Rachel and Matt were taking some of the worst behaved boys in school on a visit to a prison in an attempt to make them see how they could end up if they didn't straighten themselves out.

Becky sighed, " Some might say it's only a matter of time before the likes of Bolton Smilie are in a place like that, for good. "

" Hence this visit," Rachel said, looking at Eddie, " hopeully to deter them. "

Eddie laughed, " So, you still think you can scare them straight? "

Rachel looked at him, " That boy's got 18 months before he enters the real world and he still thinks that it's all a big game, but we all know he's got some kind of talent worth nuturing. "

Becky silently agreed, but Eddie shook his head, " Well, I don't know," he said, " I don't know about taking the lads out of their mock exams. "

Becky shook her head, " Eddie, I've got to say I'm with Rachel on this - the kids don't take the mocks seriously anyway, so this trip might do them a world of good. "

" But the mocks should matter," Eddie stressed, " they should matter to everyone in this building, and they don't. "

" They're not getting out of the exams anyway," said Rachel, " they can sit them another day - they might even take them more seriously when they get back from the visit. "

Eddie scoffed, " I thought you were visiting a prison, not Lourdes. "

Becky laughed, and the meeting didn't last much longer. When it was over, she went across to the staffroom, and when she walked in, immediately spied her brother in the kitchen area.

She wandered over, not having seen him in a few days, and he grinned when he saw her. He kissed her cheek and gave her a hug, and when she was making herself a drink, she noticed him staring across the room.

He was looking at Davina, and Becky smiled a little.

She knew Tom and Davina had kissed at the pub on the last day of term, before Christmas, but as far as she knew nothing had happened since. She thought Tom deserved to be happy, and although she didn't know whether or not Davina was the one to make him happy, she thought there was a possibility.

" Are you going to do anything about that? " she asked, looking in the same direction he was.

" About what? " he asked, looking at her with raised eyebrows.

" Please," she scoffed, turning her back to the rest of the staffroom so she and Tom could have a private conversation, " like I can't see your staring? I know you kissed - Jasmine texted me about it. I'm rather insulted that you didn't tell me yourself, to be honest. "

" Oh I don't know what I'm going to do," he told her, " I thought about phoning her, several times, but I never quite worked up the nerve. "

He fell into silence, but changed the subject quite quickly, " Anyway," he said, " I guess you're going to be innundated with questions from the kids today. "

" Questions? " she asked.

Tom laughed, " About baby Clarkson. "

" Oh," she said with a smile, shaking her head, " course. I forgot that most of the kids won't know about it yet - well, unless Janeece has been spreading her gossip, which is quite likely. " She finished her orange juice and put her glass down on the counter, looking at him over her shoulder, " and anyway, it's baby Rimmer. Or Clarkson-Rimmer, I guess. "

" You've already thought about that? " Tom asked, surprised.

Becky shrugged, " Not really. I ... well, I just thought it was obvious really. He's the dad - he's going to be included. "

Tom nodded.

Becky sighed and they fell into silence for a few minutes, before Tom sighed, running his hand through his hair. " I'm not impressed, you know," he said, " my PPA time's been taken this morning because they've got me covering one of Steph's bloody french lessons. Supply teacher's going to be late, apparently. While she's off messing around in France. "

She laughed, " I think "fundraising" is the term they're using. Though whoever made Steph Fianancial Director wants their head testing if you ask me. And you're not the only one up to here in it, either. Eddie's got me ringing around all the parents who haven't replied about parents evening tonight, which as you can imagine, is a large amount. "

Tom laughed, and Becky saw Matt pulling his coat on across the room, obviously about to leave to go to the prison visit.

" Good luck Matt! " Becky shouted from across the room, " try not to let the kids run riot. "

Matt flashed her a grin, and Grantly called as he left, " Just leave the kids there. It's the best thing for everyone, if you ask me! "

Eddie had given Becky a list of people who's parents hadn't replied, and when the bell went, she started towards her classroom, for once not having several bags with her, so not having Tom trailing behind her with them.

As she was walking down the stairs, she saw Alesha Dillon and Danielle Harker walking up the stairs. It occured to her that Danielle was one of the names on the list and she called her name when she got close enough.

Danielle was suprised but smiled politely, while Alesha made a point of staring at Becky's stomach - no doubt making a point to mention how much weight Becky had put on, to Alesha later on.

" Your mum hasn't made a reply about tonight's parents evening," Becky said, " is she coming? "

" Um ... no, I don't think she is," Danielle said.

Becky raised her eyebrows, " Any reason why not? "

Danielle smiled, " She, um, doesn't like driving in the dark, so she can't get here. "

Becky wasn't sure how genuine this seemed to her, but there was nothing she could do to question it, and she nodded in acceptance.

" Well," she said, " if your mum wants to talk to any of your teachers about how you're doing in lessons, get her to give me a call. "

Danielle thanked her and the two went their seperate ways.

Her first lesson of the day was her 6th formers and as they all filed into the room and took their seats, she shushed them all and got them to sit in silence. She walked around, handing out exam papers and offering Brett and Mika a smile when she passed them. When she got to the front of the room, she rested her hands on her hips.

" Ok everyone," she said, " you're all aware that this is your mock exam for history. I want you to do it in silence, no talking, no eye contact, no note passing. I want you to treat it as if it were your real exam. Good luck. "

While the kids started their test, she sat down and pulled out a file.

She rested it on the desk and was soon immersed in her paperwork, only occasionally glancing up to check on them all, though she knew they were behaving themselves, because they were certainly old enough to know how to take a test.

At the end of the lesson, she collected in all the test papers and dismissed the class and when they'd gone, she locked up her classroom, and went to her office.

She started phoning around the numbers on her list, and she hadn't gotten through many when she got to Danielle's mother.

She was suprised by what she found, and decided to go look for her and find out what was going on. She knew she'd find Danielle outside with her friends, and she went outside and walked across the yard.

Danielle had seen her coming and she looked at her with a nervous smile.

" Danielle," Becky said with her best school teacher voice, " I've just spoken to your mother. "

" Oh? " Danielle asked, looking a little worried.

" And she _is _coming to parents evening," Becky told her, " now she's found out about it at least - it turns out she hadn't gotten her letter, had she? "

Danielle looked a little embarrassed, and Becky shook her head, " You don't have anything to worry about, sweetie," she said, " I'm sure no-one's got anything bad to say about you. "

Danielle shrugged her shoulder, " I ... it's ok. "

Becky nodded, " If you're worried, we could talk about it? "

Danielle smiled, unable not to react to the warmth of Miss Clarkson's personality, " It's ok," she said, " I'm fine, but thanks. "

Becky nodded and left her to it, and in her free time after break, she continued to ring parents up. She'd managed to get through almost all of her list before she had to go oversee another mock exam, this time with her GCSE students.

When it was lunchtime she went up to the staffroom, and when she walked in, she saw most of the staff already sitting down, and Eddie stood at the front of the room.

Eddie smiled at her when she walked in, " Just wanted to have a word without everyone," he said, as she looked around and saw people taking seats, all facing him.

Becky nodded and went over to Tom, who was sitting beside Grantly. Tom shifted over in his armchair a little and she sat on the arm, leaning against him.

Eddie waited a few minutes, and when he thought everyone had come into the room, he looked around at them all.

" Firstly, thank you everyone, for coming," he said, " I just wanted to remind you all that this is exam week. "

Tom scoffed, " We _had _noticed," he said, while others nodded.

" Really? " Eddie asked, with a look of annoyance, " not from what I observed this morning. "

Grantly shook his head, " Yeah, we all saw you doing your little rounds. "

" Well, I think it was a good job I did," the annoyed deputy said, " because most of you seem to be using the time to catch up on lesson plans - " he glanced at Becky, " or bopping away to music. " He looked at Jasmine, who looked embarrassed. He sighed, " Some of you, who shall remain nameless, were too busy flirting to notice what was going on in your own classroom. "

Tom quickly looked away from Eddie, which Becky noticed, and she looked around to see Davina also looking down, trying desperately not to blush.

Becky smirked a little but turned her attention back to everyone else.

" Just a minute," Grantly said, " we'r enot sitting these exams. "

" Good job," Eddie replied, " or you'd be failing. You lot are supposed to show that the exams actually _matter _by being supportive. Some of these kids revise really hard - too hard some of them. "

Grantly scoffed, " Poor little souls. How do they cope with all the "stress" ? "

Eddie raised his eyebrows, " You don't think exams are stressful? "

" No," Grantly shrugged, " not anymore- it's all open texts and calculators these days. In my day, all you could have was a biro. "

" Anyone else feel like this? " asked Eddie.

Becky didn't actually feel like this, but there were a few in the room who agreed. Tom was one of the ones who nodded, and he said, " In my experience with Chlo and Mika, they just wind themselves up over nothing. Exams just aren't as tough as they used to be. "

" So, you all reckon you'd walk them? " Eddie asked.

There was a general agreement from around the room.

Eddie chuckled, " Care to prove it? You've all got to stick around this afternoon anyway for parents evening. "

" You want _us _to sit a exam? " Grantly asked, while even Becky couldn't quite believe how this was going, and was curious to find out what would happen next.

" Not if you don't think you can pass," said Eddie with a slight smirk.

" I know I'll pass," Grantly replied quickly, " I just don't need to prove it. "

" Right," Eddie said, looking around, " a bottle of whisky to any teacher who can get a grade B or above on the exam. Interested parties meet me in the cooler after school. "

With that, he left the room, and left the staff behind him to talk about it amongst themselves. All the staff were convinced that they'd be able to pass - after all, they taught the subjects and marked the kids exams - how could they fail?

That afternoon was fairly eventful, and Becky had her year 12's last lesson. When the lesson was over, Maxine and Janeece were about to be the last to leave the room, and Becky called her foster daughter

" Maxy," she said when the teen turned around to face her, "you don't have to hang around for parents evening. I'm not going to have time to talk to any of the teachers about you, with seeing pupils myself, so I'm just going to catch up with them all around the staff room. "

Maxine nodded, " Ok, great. "

Becky shook her head, " There's no need to look so happy at the thought of escaping seeing all your teachers. If any of them have got anything bad to say about you - "

" They won't," Maxine promised.

Becky smiled, " Well, that better be the case, otherwise I'll be getting your dad to have a word with you. I'll be home around 6, I think, but there's some microwave meals in the fridge I think, so just make yourself one of those if you get hungry. "

Maxine nodded and Becky smiled, " I'll see you at home, sweetie. "

Becky packed up her things and decided to go take part in Eddie's challenge, since she had nothing else to do, and she was quite certain she'd be able to pass.

She went to the cooler, and when she got there, found that many other teachers had also decided to take Eddie up on his offer - including Tom, Jasmine and Grantly.

They all took a seat, and Eddie strolled into the room a few moments later, looking quite happy with himself as he looked around the room. He started handing out test papers as he walked around the room.

" Right, are you ready? " he asked, " you've got half an hour to answer the questions - obviously it's not a full exam paper because we don't have time. Exam conditions. No talking, no eye contact, no note passing, no outside help. "

Becky looked down at her test paper and she frowned when she read the front page. This wasn't a history paper, but a Maths test. She sighed- she suddenly didn't feel as confident.

" Hang on! " Tom started.

" No talking," Eddie said.

" This isn't an english exam," Grantly said.

Eddie shrugged, " I don't remember saying it was going to be. "

Jasmine groaned, " But I don't know anything about physics! "

" And it's been years since I did Geography," Tom moaned.

" Years since I did maths," Becky replied, shaking her head.

" You only know the one subject? " Eddie teased, " GCSE kids have to do at least 5. Anyway, I thought it was going to be a breeze? "

" So did we," Becky mumbled, as Grantly stood up and declared the whole thing to be ridiculous, causing Eddie to shake his head and inform them all that the results would be going up on the staffroom notieceboard - a walk out was an instant fail.

Grantly sat back down and everyone got on with the test.

Somehow Becky found herself feeling quite able to do it - she'd never been particularly bad at Maths, it was just that she hadn't studied it in such a long time. When Eddie declared the test over, Becky didn't think she'd done too badly, and she handed her paper in to Eddie as they started to leave.

" Results will be up on the noticeboard after parents evening," Eddie said, " and consider yourselves lucky that you don't have to wait 3 months like the kids. "

As they left, Becky looked over her shoulder at Tom, " How d'you think you did? "

Tom shook his head, " I don't know but Mum'll kill me if I've failed. "

She laughed and they walked to the hall together, for parents eveing. Becky spoke to many of her pupils parents, and as she was looking around the room, she saw Danielle Harker with her mother.

Danielle was wearing a very long skirt, far below her knees, no make up, and hadn't straightened her hair. She looked nervous, and her mother was straightening her blazer and tie.

Becky found herself understanding why Danielle hadn't wanted to bring her mother to parents evening.

Later on, Becky was over at the refreshment table at one side of the room, when Danielle wandered over to get a drink, still looking embarrassed at her appearance.

" Everything alright? " Becky asked.

Danielle sighed, " It's just so ... so annoying. "

" Can I ask? " Becky asked quietly.

Danielle sighed again, " It's the church we go to. You have to dress respectfully. I don't normally mind at home or at church, where everyone's dressed like old ladies, but at school ... "

Becky nodded, " No-one would think any less of you, you know. And of course I _could _make the obvious speech here about what's on the inside being more important but you should already know that. And if it's any consolation, those lot _will _get over it, and if they do't, you can always come and talk to me. "

Danielle thanked her, and when parents evening was over, Becky retreated to the staffroom.

She went over to look at the noticeboard, to see if Eddie had posted the results. She saw that he had and she lifted her finger up to trace the results. She found her name and grinned when she saw she'd gotten a B - something which actually suprised her.

She took a moment to look up at down the paper to see how the others had done, and saw that Jasmine was the only other person to get a grade worth of the whisky.

She smiled and was packing up some things she'd left of the coffee table earlier on, when Grantly and Tom came in, closely followed by Eddie. The two english teachers looked at the noticeboard and were unhappy to find out that they'd both scored a D.

" Not as easy as you thought, eh? " Eddie shrugged, before looking around the room. He found Jasmine and Becky and handed them a bottle each, with a congratulations.

" That's not fair," Tom sighed, pointing at Becky, " she can't even drink it! "

Becky shrugged, " I could always save it. Or give it to Jack - I'm sure he'd be very grateful. "

Tom shook his head and as they were leaving the school, he looked at her, " I would ask if you wanted to come to mine for a cuppa, but I'm taking Davina out to dinner later. "

" You are? " she grinned.

He rolled his eyes, " Don't get too excited yet. I'm not telling the girls yet either - I'll just let them think parents evening went on for really long. They won't know any better."

Becky shook her head, " Well, good luck. "


	18. Davina

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Eighteen

Three weeks later, not much had happened at the school. Everyone now knew that Becky was pregnant, and she had a visible bump, though small and not particularly obvious under some of her baggier new clothes.

Davina and Tom had been on a few dates over the past three weeks too, though Tom kept insisting to Becky that it was completely casual. The looks they were sharing across the staffroom or whilst in conversations with their friends, seemed to say otherwise.

Becky wasn't too sure how she felt about the relationship. She loved Tom and wanted him to be happy, and Davina was her friend - even if they weren't best friends - and nice enough. Still, the thought of Tom dating someone who wasn't Izzie - her late best friend, and Tom's too and fiance, who'd been so obviously perfect for him. She wasn't even Lorna - his late ex-wife who'd also been ther best friend, and whilst not as perfect for him as Izzie turned out to be, obviously a very good friend to him and always made him happy, even to the point of being his friend after the divorce.

That morning, she got out of the car and looked across at Maxine, who was getting out of the passenger side.

" So," Becky said, " did you get your english essay finished in the end, last night? "

Maxine nodded, " Yeah, for all the good it'll do me. Budgen hates me anyway - even if I do a really good essay, it won't make any difference. "

" Don't be stupid," Becky said, shaking her head, " he doesn't hate you. "

" Well the old coffin-dodger don't _like _me," Maxine replied, making Becky laugh, then immediately try and cover it up.

" Oh Maxy," she said, " he's like that with everyone - it's just how he is. And please don't refer to him as a coffin-dodger. " As Maxine opened her mouth to argue, Becky shook her head, " and I _know _you've picked the phrase up from Jack, but _don't _call him that in class for gods sake. "

Maxine nodded, " Just so you know, it _is _a really good essay. "

Becky smiled a little, " I'm sure it is, if your recent history work is anything to go by. I'm going to mark the latest batch of essays from your class anyway, this evening, and I'm expecting a high grade from you. If it's as good as I think it will be, I think we'll be going out for dinner tomorrow night. "

" Really? " asked Maxine in excitement, " can we go to Nandos? "

Becky grinned, " Course we can. See you later, sweetie. "

Becky went up to the staffroom and sat down in her favourite armchair opposite Jasmine and Matt, who were drinking a cup of coffee each. She was in earlier than usual somehow, and the room was quite quiet - Grantly even looked as if he were about to fall asleep.

Both Jasmine and Matt smiled at her and she smiled back before turning to a new history book she'd bought. She liked both Matt and Jasmine but they were both younger than her and new to the school this year, and there just wasn't the same kind of easy connection she'd had with all her work friends from the last two years.

Becky had only been sat down a few minutes when her phone rang.

She pulled it out, and smiled a little at the name on the screen.

The last time she'd seen Jack was a month ago when they'd gone to the scan together, and the last time she'd spoken to him was almost 3 weeks ago, when he rang to with she and Maxine a happy new year.

" Hi," she said, putting the phone to her ear.

" Morning," he said brightly.

Becky grinned - it felt so good to be on good terms with Jack - ," My my Mr Rimmer, you sound like you're in a very mood. What's going on? "

Jack replied, " Well, I think I'm finally ready to get back into teaching? "

" You are? " she asked, " oh, that's great! I told you if you kept going to a good therapist, you'd get there. And I know you'll be much happier than you are in that stupid bar job. "

He laughed, " Well, I've got an interview with an agency this week, so hopefully I'll be on supply teaching very soon. "

" Supply teaching? " she echoed, well aware that Grantly was listening in to her side of the conversation, trying to find out some news, while Matt and Jasmine also couldn't help but hear, " but ... but you're a born headmaster! I mean, even if you can't find a headship at this time of year, I bet you could do better than supply work. "

Jack laughed, " Becky, don't worry about me. I'm old enough to know what I'm doing - of _course _I want to be a headmaster again, but I've got a plan. In the meantime, supply teaching will help me earn money, and I think we're going to need money coming in. "

Becky nodded, " You're right. "

" I'm always right," he said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

" Don't push it," she laughed, before pausing, " anyway um ... did you ring just to tell me about this supply teacher thing or ... ? "

" Oh! " he said suddenly, " of course - you sidetracked me by asking about my good mood. No, right, um, what're you doing tomorrow? "

She wondered what it had to do with him, and replied, " Not much, I don't think. Bit of marking maybe but other than that ... "

" Right," Jack said, sounding like he was about to take charge of it, " any chance I could come down and see you? It's just, my mum came to see me last night, and she's dead excited about her first grandchild and you know how much she likes you and - "

" Jack, you're rambling," she said with a smile, thinking about Jack's mum. She'd met Jack's parents several times in her two year relationship, and both were lovely people.

" Oh," he said, " sorry. Well she's just excited and she wants to get involved, and I mentioned that you were having cravings for cooking apples, so she's baked you about 5 apple pies. I thought maybe I should bring them all over, you know, while they're still any good. "

Today was friday, so tomorrow would be saturday, and Becky had no big plans.

She burst out laughing, " You should thank your mother for me, then I guess, that's ... that's nice of her. "

" So, um, shall I come and see you tomorrow? " he asked, " I just thought she'll kill me if they don't get to you, and since I don't have Maxine this weekend, she can't give them to you so .. "

Becky remembered his original question and she considered it for a moment. She had nothing planned and she realised that she and Jack hadn't really made any plans for the baby - she hadn't bought anything, or planned anything, or even spoken about the birth with him, and she'd booked her next scan and they needed to talk about that too.

" Um, I think - " she started, about to agree before he interrupted her.

" Come on Becky," he said, his voice full of teasing, " would it be such a bad thing if I came and spent the day with you and Maxine? That is, assuming you'd let me stay all day - doesn't make much sense to spend an hour getting to you, and then go straight home. I ... surely you've got things I could do around the house or something? "

" Yeah," she said, " of course you should come over. I ... God I could use your help. I haven't bought anything yet for the baby, and I don't even know what I'm going to need. You could help me make a list, I guess. And we've got to plan things and ... oh God, I'm feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it. "

Jasmine and Matt both looked at her in concern, but Jack knew exactly when she was stressed and was very good at soothing her. " Becky, love, listen, everything's going to be fine. It's all fine. We can do this, remember? "

She nodded.

" Becky? " he prompted.

She suddenly remembered that he couldn't see her and she smiled, " Sorry, I'm nodding. Yeah. Yeah. "

" Good," he said, " then I'll see you tomorrow? Come over around noon? "

Becky smiled, feeling quite reassured by the thought of Jack coming over to help her make plans, " Yeah, that's great," she said, " thank you Jack. "

" Good," he said, " then I'll see you tomorrow love. "

When she ended the call, she noticed Grantly quickly looking away and she rolled her eyes. Jasmine and Matt both smiled at her, and Matt asked hesitantly, " So Jack's very involved with the baby, then? "

Becky smiled a little, " He's been really great. To say we split up on bad terms we've managed to be friends now and we've got to be if we want to give a baby any chance of a stable life. "

They both nodded and Becky shook her head, still smiling, " Anyway, I think he's going to be a really good dad, you know, and that's plenty good enough for me. "

As she finished her sentence, the door to the staffroom opened and Davina walked in, carrying a bunch of flowers.

Matt wolfwhistled and Davina shook her head in exasperation as she went over to the kitchen area and started rooting under the sink for a vase.

" They're very nice," Jasmine said.

" Who're they from? " Becky asked curiously, unable to believe that they'd be from Tom. And anyway, if Tom was going to give her flowers, he wouldn't be doing it at school, where she had nowhere to keep them.

Davina smiled a little, " Darren Brigg's dad. "

Becky laughed, " I heard he had a bit of thing for you," she said, getting up and walking over to the kitchen area with the intetion of getting a drink.

Davina shrugged, " Well, I was talking to him at parents evening the other week about Darren's progress with his dyslexia, and he's been texting me a bit since then. I don't think I'm really interested though. "

Tom walked in at that moment, and Davina looked up at him. They just looked at each other, before Davina silently went to sit with Jasmine and Matt and Tom wandered over to the kettle.

" Something going on there? " Becky asked, immediately sensing the tension.

Tom shook his head with a face like thunder, and Becky edged a little closer so they could have a private conversation.

" Mika heard Davina and me talking in the corridor downstairs just now," Tom told her quietly, " she asked me if we were together and she seemed really annoyed, and I said there was nothing to be upset about because nothing was going on. Then Mika stormed off, and Davina got all annoyed that I'd said there was no me and her. " He sighed heavily, " she just doesn't understand that the girls come first. It's not easy for them. "

Becky nodded, taking it in.

Tom added, " Besides, the Brett Aspinall situation hardly helps," he said, referring to the fact that Davina had once slept with Brett, before either of them came to the school.

Becky nodded, " Those poor girls have been through a lot - of course they're going to find it difficult to think about you and Davina. And as for Mika and Brett ... well ... " she shook her head, as she watched Tom make himself a coffee, " I know Mika's still got a lot of feelings for him. "

Tom looked at her, " Has she? I mean, I thought she had, but I thought it might just be me. "

Becky scoffed, " Tom, I know teenage girls and it's not hard to tell that she still likes him, but he's hurt her too much for her to admit that she still likes him, especially to him. She thinks it's all in the past and she wants to try and forget she ever loved him. She just doesn't know how to let him back, romantically. "

Tom turned to look at her and narrowed his eyes, " Are we still talking about Mika and Brett? "

Becky was completely confused and she shook her head, " Who else would we be talking about? "

Tom shook his head at her, " Just seems there's some similarities between him and her, and you and Jack. "

Becky shook her head, " Don't be stupid! I ... I don't still ... I ... "

Tom met her eyes and he wondered if she even knew how she felt. He was fairly sure she still loved Jack, but he knew she'd never admit it, and he thought it was better off to leave it. He nodded and turned back to his coffee.

Becky's first lesson of the day was a quiet year eight class, and she was soon back in the staffroom. She was standing around talking with Tom and Jasmine when Eddie walked into the room, followed by a tall dark haired man none of them recognised.

" Alright you lot? " Eddie said as he strolled over, noticing the curious looks they all wore.

The stranger was smiling warmly, and Eddie smiled at the staff too, " This is Stuart Hordely," he said, " Stuart, this is Rebecca Clarkson, head of pastoral care, this is Tom Clarkson, english, and this is Jasmine Koreshi, english. "

" Pleasure to meet you all," he nodded.

Eddie added, " Mr Hordely's a developer. He's going to put in a bid for the new building work, so he's just here getting a feel for the place. "

Stuart seemed to be a friendly sort of person and Eddie seemed to quite like him, and they hadn't been there long before Rachel walked in, looking around and seeing them, before walking over.

She looked suprised to see Stuart and shook her head, " Mr Hordely, you're still here. "

" Eddie asked me to stick around a while," he said.

Eddie nodded, " Stuart's agreed to stick around for the mock interview's this afternoon. He says he might actually have an apprentice or work experience position within his company that he could offer up. "

Rachel looked more suprised and she nodded, " That's really great, but aren't we taking up too much of your time? "

Stuart insisted that it wasn't a problem, and then Rachel asked him for a private word. While he and Rachel went off to one side to talk, the others were curious but shrugged it off and carried on their own conversation.

The rest of the day went by pretty uneventfully, and at lunch time, Becky sat down with her brother.

" You alright? " he asked, though he seemed pretty far away.

She nodded, " Fine," she said, getting her lunch out, " starving, but fine. " She looked at him and raised her eyebrows, " what's up with you? "

He didn't reply and she saw him looking across the room at Davina.

" Tommy," she said, her voice full of teasing.

He looked at her, but then softened a little, " Don't call me Tommy," he said, shaking his head.

" Embarrassing you, am I? " she asked with a smile, before shaking her head, " c'mon, what's wrong with you? "

He shook his head and looked at her, " Davina," he said quietly, " Darren Brigg's dad is still trying to get in there with her, and I asked her to come around tonight for dinner but she said I shouldn't bother. She thinks I should sort the girls out first. I guess she's just not interested in me. "

Becky shook her head, " Maybe you should try talking to her again. "

Tom didn't reply, and instead he shook his head, " You and Maxy are still coming over tonight, aren't you? " he asked, " I _am _making everyone's favourite spag bol. "

" Wouldn't miss it," she said, " and I imagine Maxy and Chlo would want to spend a bit of time together. "

At the end of the day, Maxine and Becky went home. When they got in the house, Becky walked into the kitchen and called over her shoulder, " D'you want a nice hot chocolate before we go to Tom's? "

" Ooh yeah," Maxine said, following her into the kitchen.

Becky smiled and Maxine told her about her day while she made them both a drink. When she sat down opposite her, she said, " Um .. I had a call from Jack earlier. "

Maxine looked suprised but nodded, " You did? What does he want? "

Becky knew Maxine adored her foster father and would love it if he was around all the time, and she sometimes felt guilty that they weren't still together - Maxine had never really had a proper family, and she and Jack were far better than her own parents had ever been.

" Wants to come over tomorrow," Becky replied, " says his mum's baked me a load of stuff and he wants to come and give it to me. "

Maxine raised her eyebrows, " He's driving an hour to come and see us, just because he wants to give you some baked stuff? "

" Yeah," Becky said.

Maxie laughed, " No way," she said, starting to get ideas but not sure she should tell them to Becky, in case they were wrong, " you think that's the reason? You don't think there's anything else to it? "

Becky rolled her eyes, " Maxy, me and him are trying to be friends. He asked if he could come down, and it seems like a good idea. I could really use his help trying to figure out what I need to buy for the baby and I could use some help cleaning out the spare room for the baby and planning things ... I just need some help, and if he wants to be involved, then I want his help. I can't do this on my own. "

" You've got me," Maxine said, " you're not on your own. "

Becky smiled, " Thanks sweetie. But you know what I mean - I just need Jack around, I think. He's ... well, I'm sure things will be easier with two of us. "

Maxine nodded, " So he's coming to see _you_? "

" Me and you," Becky corrected.

Maxine smiled a little, " Do you think you and him might ever ... you know, get back together? "

Becky didn't have a clue how she felt about Jack. When they spoke on the phone, she loved the sound of his voice, and she was always quite happy to hear from him, but she wasn't sure about getting back into their relationship.

She often thought she'd gotten over it but then she wan't sure if she actually had. When she remembered the pain she'd gone through in their break up, she didn't want him back, but sometimes she started thinking that he never would have been unfaithful to her if it wasn't for the pain he'd gone through with Izzie's death and his own demons.

" Oh, I don't know, Maxy," she sighed.

Maxine smirked a little, " So that's _not _a no? "

Becky shook her head, " Oh Maxine, I don't know," Becky sighed, " the thing is, if we got back together and it didn't work out, it's not just me and him. We have to provide a stable life for our baby, and getting back together only to fall apart further down the line wouldn't help anyone. "

" But you were ... you were great together," Maxine sighed.

Becky nodded, trying not to think about it, " I ... I know. Anyway, never mind about all that - Jack's coming to see us tomorrow and that's all we need to know. And you know how much he likes to spoil you - I'd be very suprised if he hadn't brought you a little present. "

Maxine smiled brightly and Becky smiled fondly.

Once they'd finished their drinks, they went to Tom's, where Maxine was eager to gossip with Chlo, and Becky was more than happy to spend some time with her brother, away from the craziness of the school.

As Tom was in the kitchen and Mika was upstairs somwhere, Becky sat down in the living room. She heard footsteps on the staircase, and a few minutes later, Chlo came into the room with a few cans of coke in her hands.

" I was just getting me and Maxine a drink," she said, sitting down on the armchair nearest the door and looking a bit nervous, " but I um ... wanted to talk about Davina. "

" Davina? " Becky asked, unsure how to handle the subject. She wanted to help and she supposed after Izzie's death, she was the closest adult female they had, " Chlo, you know you can always talk to me. "

Chlo nodded, " Thing is, Mika thinks her and Tom are together but I don't know and um ... what do you think about it? "

Becky smiled a little, trying to reassure her but not sure what to say, " To be honest, I'm not too sure what's going on between them. " She thought she ought to try and comfort Chlo and she smiled, " but how would you feel if Tom _was _with someone else? "

Chlo shrugged, looking a bit worried, " I don't know. I know Mika wouldn't be happy at all. Especially if it was Davina. Me and Mika were talking about it earlier. But I ... I don't think it would be too bad, as long as Tom was happy. "

Becky smiled, " I think Tom's old enough to work things out for himself. "

Chlo nodded in agreement and Becky changed the subject, " Anyway, have you seen anything of Donte recently? "

Chlo scoffed as she got up and put her hand on the door, " I don't think he wants anyhting to do with me anymore," she said.

" Well," Becky said, " I'm sure it'll all work out in the end. Love, eh, and the things it does to us? "

Chlo looked a bit thoughtful as she smiled, " Yeah but, you're getting something good out of it at least now. "

Becky smiled and rested a hand on her bump, " Well, I suppose that's one thing. "

" Mum would have been thrilled, you know," Chlo said, a far away smile on her face, " one of her best friends having a baby. She always said you were like her sister - you and Lorna. "

Becky was taken aback but Chlo had a smile on her face as she thought about her mum, and Becky realised she'd never really contemplated Izzie in this - Izzie would have loved it. She'd probably also have killed Jack for cheating, But then, if Izzie hadn't died, Jack wouldn't have been depressed, he wouldn't have distanced himself from her, and they might never have split up

" Thanks sweetie," Becky said, " it's nice to think that your mum being here sometimes, isn't it? "

Chlo didn't reply, and when she'd gone, it was another few minutes before Tom came into the room. When he did, he sat down next to his sister and she turned to look at him.

" Just had Chlo talking to me," she said, " about Davina. "

" Oh," Tom mumbled, not sure how to handle the girls if he was honest.

" How _are _the girls? " she asked, " did you get to talk to Mika, after first thing? "

Tom nodded, " I've tried. " He scoffed. " For all the good it did me. She doesn't like Davina. Mika says she's no good for me. " He chuckled, " she thinks I can do a lot better. "

Becky couldn't help but smile at the thought of it and knew Mika was only trying to protect Tom, and her mum's memory and she smiled a little - she was also always trying to think about what was best for Tom, and when all the people involved were adults, it was hard to know what was best and who should decide it.

" What? " Tom asked, noticing the look on her face.

" Nothing," she said, absent mindedly running a hand over her tummy.

" What? " Tom repeated.

Becky shrugged, " I .. well it's nothing. It's just .. well, she's right about one thing. I mean Davina's lovely and everything and I'm not slagging her off - I really like her - I just think if you really wanted it you _could _do better than her. "

Tom was completely suprised and he shook his head, " I thought you _liked _Davina? "

" Didn't I just say I do? " Becky said, rolling her eyes, " I want you to be happy, and I'd be happy if you got with Davina, but I ... I just think you could have anyone you wanted if you put your mind to it. But I know it's Davina you want. "

Tom laughed a little and reached out to drape his arm around her shoulders, " You're just as protective over me as the girls, aren't you? You lot are a right group. And I _know _why everyone thinks it's weird for me to be with someone new, even if no-one's come out and said it. "

Becky shrugged.

Tom laughed again, looking her in the eye, " I'm going to tell you what I told Mika - Davina might not be Izzie, and God knows we all loved Izzie - but I haven't liked every boyfriend you've ever had, have I? I mean, that _Max Tyler_ for one, was an arrogant, know it all - "

" Max was a decent guy," Becky protested lightly, thinking of her old ex from university, " just because _you _didn't like him - "

Tom went on as if she hadn't spoken, though he was wearing the smile that usually graced his face when he was teasing her, " And as for Jack - "

" Don't you dare," Becky said, nudging him, though she laughed.

Tom laughed too and he shook his head, " Point is, I haven't always thought your boyfriends have been good enough for you, like I'll never think the girls boyfriends are good enough for them, but that's where the trust comes in. "

Becky smiled as she looked at him, " Don't you turn all "dad" on me," she said, holding her hands up innocently. " I don't have a problem with Davina! I just .. well, I miss Izzie. It feels like all our old friends are gone - Izzie, Lorna, Kim, Andrew ... Jack. " She sighed, " anyway - didn't think start off being about Mika? "

Tom nodded and he sighed, " I think he biggest problem with Davina isn't even about Davina. It's about Brett - she just misses Brett, doesn't she? God, I hate it when I fall out with the girls. "

Becky nodded, " I know you do. Oh for God's sake - get up those stairs and go and talk to her. "

Tom did as he was told and Becky flicked through the music channels on the tv until he came back.

When he came back down, he was wearing a smile and Becky raised her eyebrows, " It all went well then? "

He nodded, " I think me and her are going to be alright. I told her she should try and make it up with Brett if that's how she felt, rather than trying to bottle it all up - after all, I've seen him trying pretty hard to make up with her. "

Becky thought this seemed like good advice and she said, " Maybe you should call Davina, too? "

" Maybe I'll call her after we've eaten he said. "

Tom served up his spaghetti bolagnase to Becky and the three girls and now Tom and the girls had made up, it was a peaceful meal. They ate it all and when it was over, the girls went back upstairs and Becky looked at Tom as he cleared away the tables.

" Are you going to - "

" Yes," he said, cutting her off, " I'll call Davina. I suppose I can hardly go preaching to Mika about trying to make up with Brett if I can't even make the call to Davina. "

Becky took over the washing up from him so he could call her, and when he came back into the kitchen, he told her, " Davina says she's going to call around. "

Becky smiled, happy that at least one of them was starting to mend their luck in love.

When Becky had finished the washing up, and Tom had finished drying them all up after her and putting them away, she turned around to face him.

" Right, I'm going to get going then. I've got no desire to play gooseberry to you two for the rest of the evening. "

Tom nodded, " Right, well if you say so. I'll see you after the weekend then, if nothing comes up before? "

She nodded and went to the bottom of the stiars to shout Maxine down. As Maxine was still upstairs, Tom helped Becky into her coat and put his hands her on shoulders, turning her round to face him.

" Thanks for talking about Davina," he said.

She smiled, " We're family, aren't we? Me, you, and our three girls, and since neither of us are still sure how to be parents to teenage girls, I reckon we need each other. "

He nodded and as Maxine came jogging down the stairs, he pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek when they broke apart.

" Right," he said, reaching out to lay a hand on her bump, " look after yourself, won't you? And look after my little niece or nephew, you hear me? "

She grinned, " See you later Tommy. "

" Bye Becks, see you later Maxy. "


	19. Saturday

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Nineteen

The next day, Becky was brushing her hair in the hallway mirror and trying to arrange it over her shoulders so it all looked nice. As she did so, Maxine came running down the stairs, and she stopped at the bottom.

" You look nice," she said with a bit of a smirk.

Becky smiled, " Thanks sweetie. "

Becky was wearing a new red skirt that she'd bought to cheer herself up when she realised that her favourite jeans and skirts weren't fitting anymore. She matched it with a plain white top but threw a little red cardigan over the top.

Maxine folded her arms, " Any reason that you've got to look nice? "

Becky shrugged, ignoring Maxine's obvious meaning, " It's nice to look nice," she said, flattening her hair down, then once satisfied, going into the living room.

" Nothing to do with Jack coming? " Maxine asked, following her.

" Course not! " Becky said, shaking her head and trying to clear up the living room, which was full of bits of paper, books and reports that needed doing. " I don't have to impress _Jack_. "

No sooner had she said it, than the doorbell had rung. Becky groaned, looking at the time - he was half an hour earlier than he said he would be, and the living room was a mess. She sighed, but then decided that Jack wouldn't care anyway.

Maxine went for the door before Becky did, and Becky lingered in the doorway of the living room, watching as Maxine opened the door.

Jack was of course standing there, grin on his face and he looked at Maxine happily.

" Hey kiddo," he said, before pulling her in for a one armed hug, before she had a chance to be indignant at being called a kid. Maxine then stepped back to let him in, and as she was locking the door, Jack took a few steps forward, almost as if he was nervous.

He held out his arms, and held out the tins to her.

" My mum's cooking," he announced.

She smiled a little, " Thank you, Jack. That's sweet. "

He shrugged, " Well, my mum just wanted to help, so ... "

Becky nodded and took the tins from him, going into the kitchen. She heard him following her, and she opened one of the cupboards and got on her toes, spying the place she wanted to stash the food.

She pushed herself as high up on her toes as she could and tried to put one of the tins away, and she heard Jack's voice from behind her.

" Oi! " he said sharply.

" What? " she asked, without looking around.

" Let me do that," he said. Becky nodded and she felt him come up behind her and take the tin from her hands. He laid his other hand on her shoulder and gently moved her aside.

She watched him put everything away for her, and as he did so, he looked and sounded annoyed.

" Honestly Becky, I don't want you doing yourself an injury, " he lectured, reaching for the 2nd tin, " you're supposed to be looking after yourself. What if you overbalanced and fell or ... or ... oh you're impossible. "

She laughed and held up her hands innocently as he turned to look at her, " Jack, I'm fine. You can't come in here and just ... just start fussing. I know how to look after myself. "

Jack nodded, and as he put the last tin away, he frowned, reaching into the cupboard and pulling something out, turning to her.

" Why do you have whiskey in the cupboard? " he demanded, still sounding annoyed, " you're not _drinking? "_

" Oh for goodness sake! " she snapped, " of course I'm not. I won the whiskey at work the other day, and I was actually going to give it to _you _once I got around to it. "

" Oh," Jack said, shaking his head, " I ... sorry. "

" Yeah," she said, shaking her head too, " you should be. And now you've got your hands on it, you might as well keep it, hadn't you? "

He sighed and when he closed the cupboard, turned to face her, " I'm sorry love. Just ... well, you know, I haven't dealt with pregnancy before and I'm more than a bit worried. "

She laughed, " I'm new to this too, Jack, but we can do it. Isn't that what you keep telling me? "

He nodded and took a step closer to her, holding out his hands.

" Come here," he said with a smile.

She raised her eyebrows and held out her hands in return, smiling a little when he took hold of both of them gently and squeezed lightly.

" You look really great," he said, looking her up and down quickly.

Becky laughed, " Thank you," she said, " you don't have to tell me that now we're not together, but thank you. "

" Honestly," he said, " you're ... you're glowing. And ... well," he added, a grin spreading across his face, " it's kind of exciting to know there's a baby growing, isn't it? "

She smiled and Jack sighed, squeezing her hands again briefly before letting go and clearing his throat.

" Well," he said, " you said I could help you plan what to buy and what to do when the baby comes. Um ... where do we start? "

She nodded, " I'm sure we've got all day for that. Um, d'you want a cuppa? "

Jack agreed and as Becky wandered over to the kettle, she asked him when he was starting with his supply teacher work.

" Actually, I wanted to talk about that," he said, " see, the thing is, I've been thinking about some plans for when the baby is born, and um, well, I think I'm going to struggle to be involved as much as I'd like to be if it takes me over an hour to get here, even in good traffic. "

" Well yeah I suppose it's not ideal," she said, coming to sit down opposite him and handing him a mug.

She noticed that he looked a bit worried and she could also tell from his expression that he had something to tell her.

" So I was thinking," he said, " maybe I should move back here. I've been thinking it for a while now, and I just think help so much more if I was nearby, and I don't want to only have time to come and see my own child on a weekend. If I was nearby, I'd be able to come around after work and I could be a proper dad. "

" You want to move back? " she asked, not sure how she felt. She and Jack got on well these days after their split but seeing him all the time ... him being so close ... she wasn't sure if that would confuse their boundaries, confuse how she felt.

" Well not into this house obviously," he told her, " that'd be stupid with us ... you know, not together. But I want to move to Rochdale. "

Becky nodded slowly - Jack was an adult and had a right to live wherever he wanted and she had to admit that him living close by would mean he could help her with the baby. And he had as much right to see the baby as she did - he couldn't very well do it if he only had spare time to come over on the weekends.

" Becky? " he prompted, " might be nice if I had your input? "

She shook her head, " Sorry, Jack," she said, " yeah. It might ... might be a good idea. "

" You sure? " he asked softly, " you seem a bit ... hesitant. "

She couldn't tell him that she worried if she saw him every day, she'd start to fall for him again, and she was scared if she did that, she might get hurt like she had before, and if they weren't stable, they had no chance of providing a proper life for a baby.

" Sorry," she smiled, " of couse it makes more sense than living over an hour off. If you want to move back round here, then yeah, yeah, I think it's a good idea. "

" Great," he said, " I know it'll be a change for us, but I ... I thought it made more sense to live around here again. "

She nodded, " Course it does. What about a job? "

He shrugged, " I'll find something around here. There's plenty of school in the area - I feel fit to have a teaching job again, and I know I want to be back at a school. I'll find a job. "

" A headship? " she asked.

Jack didn't look too sure, " Well, of course that's what I'd _like, _but I know there's little chance of one being available at the exact point when I want one. And with my previous record, they might ont want me to be a head again. "

Becky scoffed, " Course they'll want you. You never got sacked over the money, did you? You were suspended, and they asked you not to quit, but you quit anyway. Course they'll want you. "

He smiled, and suddenly they seemed to be in the easy way they'd always been - it was suddenly just like they'd never split up. " Well, my darling, I wish I had as much faith in myself as you do in me. "

Her skin seemed to tingle at the term of affection and his charming grin, and he continued, " I'll take whatever job I can find, as long as I can get my foot back in the door teaching. Maybe I could be a headmaster again one day, but for now I'll be a deputy, or a head of department, or just a regular history teacher. Or even just a supply teacher. Point is, I care about helping kids, and I want to be in a position where I can do. I want to be a teacher again. And I'd be any kind of teacher, as long as I could be near Maxine and our baby. "

" Jack," she said, with a smile, " I know you. Would you really be happy being an ordinary teacher? "

He smiled, " I loved being headmaster, god knows I did, but I was a history teacher first, and I loved that once too, didn't I? I've got plenty of time left to be a headmaster one day, but for now I'll take whatever teaching job I can find, so long as it's in the area. "

Becky nodded.

Jack looked at her carefully as she drained the rest of her drink.

" Becks, you're sure this is ok? " he asked, " me looking for a job, and a place around here? You have to be ok about it, for me to do it. "

" Jack, I told you it is," she nodded.

" Good," he replied.

Becky smiled, " Anyway, um, are you coming to the next scan? It's in ... " she got up and went over to the calender hanging on the wall, " 4 weeks. We could find out if it's a girl or a boy, if you want. "

Jack grinned and everything suddenly seemed so much more exciting, " Of course I'm coming," he said, " I ... I wouldn't miss it for anything. Do, um, do you want to find out what it is? "

She smiled, " Might be nice to know," she told him, sitting down and absent mindedly running a hand over her bump, " I don't think I could wait for another 5 months. That is, unless you don't want to know? "

" I'd like to know," he said.

She smiled, " What d'you think you'd want? " she asked him.

Jack grinned, " Either," he said, " as long as I've got a healthy little baby, it can be a girl or a boy. "

Becky grinned too but after a moment, she narrowed her eyes, " I bet you want a boy really, but you feel like you can't _say _that. "

" I don't! " he said indignantly, " well, not that I wouldn't want a boy, but I wouldn't mind a girl either. I could teach a boy to play football and take him down the pub and - "

" Pub? " Becky echoed.

Jack immediately corrected himself, " When he's old enough, obviously. And with a girl ... I could spoil a little girl. I ... this is all starting to feel so _real. "_

Becky smiled and she loved this feeling of being a family again.

Maxine came into the room a moment later, and Jack smiled at her.

" Fancy going out for lunch, Maxy? " he asked her, before turning to look at Becky, " Becky? "

" If you're paying," Becky laughed.

" Can we go to the Italian? " Maxine asked eagerly, " Janeece reckons they have a buffet at lunch times, reckons its well good. "

" We can go wherever you want," Jack told her, before turning to wink at Becky, " get your coat love, you've pulled. "

Jack swept out of the room and Maxine raised her eyebrows at Becky. Becky knew exactly what she was thinking, given their conversation the previous day, in which Maxine asked her about the two of them getting back together.

" Don't," Becky mouthed, before following Jack into the hallway, where he was already holding out her coat for her.

The three of them went to lunch together, where Maxine told Jack how her week had gone, and Jack took the opportunity to quiz Becky on the headteacher who'd replaced him, and all his old collegues.

They told Maxine that Jack was planning on moving back to Rochdale once he'd saved up some more money for his supply teaching, which he was starting the next week, and had found a home and job.

Once they went back to the house, Jack asked Becky what she needed help with, while he was here. He followed her into the living room and looked around.

" Looks like you've been busy," he said as she sat down on the sofa.

She shook her head, eyeing the big piles of paperwork sitting on her coffee table.

" Lots of pastoral work to keep up on," she said, " I never realised how big the job was, when it was Kim's. Now it's mine, it seems huge. I've _always _got marking or reports or kids to chase up or meetings to go to. Though I do love it, of course. And I suppose I'll be getting a break from the job anyway soon enough. "

" Is that all sorted? " Jack asked her, " you know, your leave and all that? "

" Not cemented, but Rachel and I have spoken about it," she said, " I'll be leaving a month before the baby's due, but I don't know how much time I want off. I don't know if it'd suit me to have all that time at home - I think I'd miss the school too much. Rachel and I were thinking I might return to school after October half term. It'll be November by then, and I'll have had 4 months. I know I'm entitled to much more but I don't know how it'd suit me. "

Jack nodded.

Becky continued, " And anyway, I don't think I'll be having the pastoral care job back when I _do _come off maternity leave? "

" Really? " Jack asked, suprised, " I know it's a lot of work, but I thought you loved being able to help the kids. "

" I do," she said, as he came to sit next to her on the sofa, " but I don't think I can commit to all the extra work pastoral care gives. I want to be there for my little baby. Rachel suggested I just take a break from the role and we could discuss me having it back at a later date. "

" I guess you _are _only young," Jack told her, " you've got about 35 years left in your career to be head of pastoral care. In fact, I'd be very suprised if you weren't running a school by the end of it. "

Becky reached for some paper so they could make a start on a list and as she did so, she said, " I think I've even got the childcare arrangements in mind. "

" Really? " Jack asked, " this early? "

" Well, Tom suggested it and it made perfect sense," she said, " Rachel's all for getting a new extended service running in the school, and from September she's going to implementing all sorts, and a creche is one of the ideas she's thinking of. Like she says, there's staff with young kids, and a lot of the parents of our school kids have got young kids they struggle to get help looking after. If Rachel gets this creche up and running, I could have the baby there. "

Jack considered it for a moment and then nodded, " Seems like a good idea, actually. No trouble dropping and picking baby up and well ... seems like you've got everything organised."

Together they sat down and made a list of everything she might need to buy for the baby, and Jack looked at her, " Doesn't seem so scary now, does it? "

" It does," she said, shaking her head.

Jack laughed, " It's going to be ok, Becks, I promise. What about the baby's room? "

Becky nodded, " Maxine and I have cleared out the spare bedroom, um, you know, what _was _your office. Needs decorating, but I was going to do that once we knew whether we had a girl or a boy. "

" Right," he nodded, trying to think if there was anything else.

He'd been here now for hours and she was finding his presence very comforting. There was just one very big thing they hadn't yet discussed.

" Jack," she said, " there's ... we need to talk about the birth. "

" Right," he said carefully, " what about it? "

She rolled her eyes, " Well, are you going to be there? "

" Course I am," he said quickly, as if he was insulted by the thought that he wouldn't be, "if there's one thing I'm not going to miss, it's the birth of my baby. "

Becky smiled at the tone of voice he used - he was so thrilled to be a dad-to-be and Becky couldn't quite imagine the Jack she'd met 2 and a half years ago being like this.

" So I've got to sign up for antenatal classes," Becky told him, " and if you're going to be at the birth then I guess you need to konw as much as I do and - "

" Yes," he said, cutting her off and smiling about it, " you just tell me when these classes are, and I'll be there. "

" Thanks Jack," she smiled.

It wasn't long before he decided he ought to get going, and he hugged and said goodbye to Maxine, who was upstairs, doing some homework.

He put his coat on, and after looking at the front door, turned to look at Becky.

" I guess I'll see you in a few weeks then," he said.

Becky nodded, " Jack, you've been such a great help today," she said, " it was ... well, it was good to have you here, you know? "

" Good to see you," he told her, " and it was all my pleasure. Now, you look after yourself, right? I want you putting your feet up in every spare moment, you got that? "

Becky laughed, " I'm pregnant, not ill. "

" I know," he told her, " and you've got to ring me if you need anything, right? "

She nodded, " I will. "

" Oh, come here," Jack said, opening his arms.

She smiled and he slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She sighed in contentment and he kissed her cheek when they broke apart.

" Can I ... ? " he asked, glancing at her stomach and back again, " is it alright if - "

" Yeah," Becky nodded, " it's ok. Though I'm telling you, you're not going to feel anything yet. "

The expression on Jack's face was one of pure awe as he reached out and rested his hand on her bump. " Ok baby, you look after mummy for me, and I'll come back and see you all soon. "

Becky laughed at him and couldn't help but think it was cute.

" Bye bye baby," Jack mumbled, before taking his hands back to himself, " see you later Becky. Call me if you need anything. "

She smiled and he left the house, leaving her once again confused as to how she felt about him.


	20. 2nd Scan

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty

A couple of weeks later, Becky was standing in the kitchen, humming away to herself as she pressed the iron down on Maxine's favourite jeans.

At 20 weeks, and almost 5 months, pregnant her bump was quite impressive and she leaned over the ironing board, in rather a good mood, if a little anxious at the thought of her next scan at the weekend.

Pregnancy agreed with her and she was enjoying the whole experience, even if there was a gap in her life, and she couldn't quite tell what was missing.

When Maxine came into the kitchen, she smiled at the woman who was being as good as a mother to her.

" Morning sweetie," Becky smiled, " you all ready for this week. "

" Suppose so," Maxine muttered.

Becky just continued to smile, putting the iron down and picking the jeans up. She started to fold them up as she said, " I thought I'd get these down for you - I know they're your favourite pair. And I've made you some sandwiches up and left them on the side. Make sure you put them in your bag before we go, won't you? "

" You shouldn't be fussing over me," Maxine said, shaking her head, " I know you've had back ache all week, and all this standing up can't be doing you any good. "

" Maxy," Becky said, shaking her head as she put the folded up jeans down, " I've already got Tom fussing over me everytime he sees me, and even Eddie seems to have started now, every time I walk into a management meeting. Not to mention Jack ringing me every week to check up, and even my bloody godson starting on my case. "

" Everyone's just looking out for you," Maxine pointed out.

" I know," Becky said, " but around here, let _me _do the fussing over _you. _I like fussing over you, and it _is _my job. "

She started to fold the ironing board back up, and Maxine shook her head. " My clothes don't need ironing anyway. Not when I'm just going to get some old coffin dodger drooling down me. "

Becky resisted the urge to laugh, " Maxine, it's work experience. It's not all going to be glamorous, but you're going to be doing some good, aren't you? But it's not going to be all bad. Chin up. "

Maxine scoffed, " A week of looking afted old ladies. Can't wait. "

" It won't be that bad," Becky said, sitting down at the kitchen table, " the nursing home aren't going to have you doing any heavy lifting or anything. You've just got to go and do your best. "

Maxine didn't look convinced, " Suppose so. "

Becky had to laugh at the annoyed look on her face, " Besides," she said, " it's some kind of practise for the babysitting you're going to be doing in a few months time. Jack and I will be very proud of you if you do well this week. "

" Thanks," Maxine smiled, loving the time she got to spend with her foster mother.

Becky added, " Between me and you, he says he'll have a little treat for you when he comes down this weekend. A little incentive for you to do well. And caring _is _a worhwhile profession. "

" It just feels unfair," Maxine replied with a sigh, " everyone else has got cushy placements. Maxine's going to sit around in some museum and Chlo's just going to sweep up hair and make coffee in some salon. "

Becky smiled, " Stop moaning, sweetie. You'll just have to go and make the most of it. "

Becky drove them to school, and when they got there, they walked into school together. Becky smiled at her foster daughter as they stopped just inside the school, where the year 12s were gathering.

" Good luck sweetie," Becky smiled.

Maxine smiled half-heartedly, " Thanks. "

" I'll make something really nice for dinner tonight," Becky said, " now cheer up, because you're always complaining about how much you hate school, so at least this is some time off. "

" But I won't even have Janeece! "

" You'll manage," Becky said, " we all have to do things without the people who make things easier for us, but when you get home tonight, we're going to eat rubbish and watch crappy tv. See you later. "

On her way up to the staffroom, Becky was Rachel coming down the stairs that she was going up.

" Morning," Rachel said brightly.

" Morning," Becky said, trying to ignore the dull ache in her back, " oh, I hear you're going to that meeting today to find out who's going to get the contract for the building work. "

" Yes, it's going to be so much fun," Rachel sighed sarcastically, before smiling, " Oh well, see you tomorrow. "

Becky walked into the staffroom and smiled as she made her way over to her little group of friends. Tom, Davina and Matt were sitting around together. Davina, Matt and Jasmine had never filled the hole that Izzie and Lorna had left behind, or even the gap of Kim and Andrew, but they were all she had, other than Tom, and they were good enough for her.

Tom immediately leapt out of his seat opposite Davina, when he saw her, and she smiled as she walked towards the chair.

She smiled at his protective nature as she took the seat. He sat back down, on the arm of the chair, and Becky sighed happily, " You know," she told her friends, resting her hands on her bump, " I'm beginning to see the advantages of being pregnant. These days I'm never without a seat. "

Matt laughed, " Erm... isn't getting a baby at the end of it all kind of a _big _advantage? "

Becky smiled, " Oh well, other than that of course," she shrugged, waving it off, although they all knew she was joking from her wicked smile.

" Let me get you a drink," Tom said, standing up.

Becky rolled her eyes as she watched him go off to get her a drink without even waiting to hear her reply. " Honestly," she sighed, " you'd think I was carrying _his _baby with the way he fusses. "

Davina smiled, " It's just because he cares," she pointed out.

Becky smiled, " I know," she said, nodding as she rubbed her bump softly.

" It's sort of cute actually, the way he's so protective," Davina smiled.

Ten minutes later, the four of them were making idle conversation when Becky realised Davina hadn't actually joined in for a while. She looked at her friend in concern.

" Everything alright, Davina? " she asked.

Davina was going through some papers on her knee and she looked completely stressed out. " Sorry," she said, looking up, " I'm fine. "

" Yeah? "

Davina shrugged, " Just a little stressed out, I suppose. Bit snowed under, with all the paperwork, and Karla's GCSEs coming up. "

" Well, you should come to me if you need any help," Tom said instantly, making Becky smile a little.

" You don't have to look out for me all the time," Davina said.

" Isn't that what friends do? " challenged Tom, his face still lit up with a smile.

" Suppose so," nodded Davina.

Becky looked between the pair of them, wondering why they couldn't just get together sine they so obviously liked each other. She was still wondering this when the staffroom door opened, and Steph strolled in.

Steph was never usually a welcome sight to Becky, even though she'd managed to put some of it behind her after she split up with Jack. Steph was looking very happy to be back from her fundraising trip to France, and she grinned as she said hello to the room in general.

" Well, how did it go? " Matt asked Steph.

Steph nodded, " France was wonderful. Lovely. I met with a lot of educationalists who were very interested in what Waterloo Road had to offer. "

" Very interested, as opposed to signing on the dotted line? " Grantly asked.

" All in good time," shrugged Steph, seemingly unbothered.

The day was largely uneventful, and at the end of it, Becky went home to find her foster daughter already home. Becky put her marking down in the living room and sat down on the sofa, while maxine put the telly on and sat down in the armchair.

" So," Becky said, " how was it? "

Maxine sighed, " Boring and I hated it. "

Becky laughed, " As blunt as ever, sweetie. It can't have been that bad? "

" I spent all day changing bed sheets and cleaning floors," Maxine said unhappily.

Becky laughed, and at Maxine's indignant look, she added, " Well, I've never seen you so much as sweep the kitchen floor or change your own bedsheets, so how on earth _they _managed to get you to do that, I _don't _know. "

" Janeece is joining me tomorrow though," she said, " she fell out with the people at the museum so Miss Mason said it would be alright if she came to the care home with me for the rest of the week. "

" Well, at least that's something," Becky said, " now, do you want pizza tonight? Or maybe chinese or indian? "

The next day, Becky was sitting with Tom and Davina at lunch time.

" So the scan's this weekend? " Tom asked Becky as they ate lunch.

She nodded through a mouthful of her sandwich, " Saturday. "

" And Jack? " Tom asked, knowing her well enough to know that he didn't have to even speak in full sentences to get her to understand him.

" He's coming," she replied, " was very enthusiastic about it when I told him. We're going to find out whether we're having a boy or a girl. Oh Tom, Jack's being so supportive through it all. "

" And d'you know whether you want a boy or a girl? " Davina asked with a smile.

" I'd be so happy with either," Becky replied honestly, " as long as my little baby is healthy, I'd love or a boy _or _a girl. "

Tom nodded, " Then I'd love a niece _or _a nephew. "

" Oh, Jack wants a boy," she said, " he says he'd love either, but I know he wants a boy. To play football with and all that. But a daughter ... well, I think he's love a daughter too actually. I'd love either. "

The conversation changed after a while, when Davina announced to the siblings that she was sick of being a teaching assistant.

" I want to become a proper teacher," Davina announced.

" Really? " Becky asked, " oh wow, congratulations. I think you'd be an amazing teacher, Davina. "

" Yeah, absolutely," Tom agreed.

" Any help you want," said Becky, " I'm there. Although I bet you won't want to do history, will you? My lovely subject _is _dying out as the NQT's top option these days. "

" I was thinking english," Davina admitted as she stood up in preparation to go to her classroom, where she had to help Grantly set up.

" Listen, why don't you come over tonight? " Tom suggested, " I've still got all my old coursework ... maybe we could talk. "

" Yeah, give me a call later on," Davina nodded.

When Davina had left, Becky smirked a little as she looked at her brother, " Tom, why can't you two just sort yourselves out? Why can't you get together - you obviously like each other. "

" Let me take it one slowly," Tom laughed, " I'm just ... seeing how it goes. "

By the time saturday came around, Becky was beyond nervous for her scan. She stood in the hallway with her coat on, leaning against the radiator and waiting for Jack to get there.

When the doorbell rang, she pulled open the door instantly, and Jack looked somewhat suprised to see her there with her coat already on, looking quite worried.

" Jack," she sighed, relieved.

" Rebecca," he said with a smile, " how are you? "

" Good, we're all good," she said, stepping back to let him in. When he came inside, he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her cheek, and she found her heart pounding the way it always did when Jack was nearby.

She smiled at the kiss on her cheek and when he pulled away and looked at her, he shook her head.

" Are you alright? You look ... worried? "

She shook her head, " I'm fine," she said, " just ... just anxious to get to the scan and see that everything's alright. "

" Everything's going to be fine," he assured her, his hands settling on her shoulders as he looked at her face, " now come on, can I see a smile? "

She smiled and he nodded.

" You look fantastic, by the way," he told her, " but then, you always do, I guess. " He wandered into the living room where he found Maxine sitting on the sofa.

" Hey kiddo," he grinned as he looked at his foster daughter, " how was your week? "

Maxine smiled, " It was good in the end. I thought it was going to be horrible, and it was kind of boring at first, but once Janeece showed up ... well, some of them old folks weren't that bad after all. "

" Told you," Becky said, leaning against the door frame.

Maxine stuck her tongue out at Becky, who laughed, and Jack grinned, " Well done, max, we're really proud of you. I knew you could do it. "

Whatever else Jack was saying to Maxine, Becky didn't hear it because her phone started to ring, so she pulled it out of her pocket and answered it after a quick glance at the screen.

" Hey Tom," she smiled.

" Becky," he said, sounding stressed.

" What's going on? " she asked him.

" Becks," he sighed, " last night I messed things up with Davina. Could I come around and drown my sorrows? "

She laughed as she took the call into the hallway, " Oh Tom, what did you do? "

" Well, she came over last night, and we were ... um ... in bed when Mika came into the house, and I was more bothered about Mika not finding us like that than I was thinking about Davina, and she got mad so I think ... "

" Tom," she sighed, " it'll work out. "

" So, can I come around? "

"I've got a scan to go to, remember? " she pointed out, " Jack's just got here, and I'm not really in any state to be drowning sorrows. I could offer a sympathetic ear, fresh orange juice and a little scan later on, if you like? "

" Oh, I'm an idiot, I forgot darlin'," he said, " I'll call around later, then? "

" Yeah, please do," she smiled, " I know you'll love to see the scan. "

When she hung up, she went into the living room again in time to see Jack hugging Maxine tightly, as she thanked him. Clearly, whatever Jack's promised suprise for Maxine was, he'd just given her it.

Becky smiled, " Come on Jack," she said, " I don't want to be late. "

" Becky, there's plenty of time," he replied, glancing at the clock.

" Please Jack," she pouted, " I just want to be there. "

He sighed, confused at the way that he was still completely unable to resist the puppy dog look in her eyes and she way she looked at him. " Fine," he said, " can't do any harm to be there early I suppose. "

He threw a little wink at Maxine, " See you in a bit kiddo. "

" Good luck," Maxine called after them, as Becky threw open the front door, and Jack laughed from behind her. " Becky, love, give me chance to put my coat on. "

" Then you shouldn't have taken it off," she replied simply.

He shook his head and followed her out of the house a moment later. He rested his hand in the small of her back as they walked to his car.

" Calm down," he said, his voice low and soothing, " everything's going to be alright, love. "

" I can't help worrying," she mumbled.

When they stopped by the car, Jack took a step closer to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead while bringing one hand to rest on her face. Becky instantly felt her cheeks warm up and she didn't know whether this was due to her hormones - which she had to admit were currently all over the place, and fairly average looking men were starting to become gods in her eyes. Or whether it was due to the fact that she might not have moved on fully from her relationship. Or moved on at all.

" W-what was that for? " she asked as he let go of her.

" Trying to calm you down," he replied, " get yourself worked up isn't going to help anything, and uit's not going to do either of you any good. "

She nodded, and he was stood at the passenger door of the car.

" Come on then," he said, opening the door.

She nodded.

Once Jack got into the car too, he looked at her sideways, " Right, you haven't been feeling any pain, any problems, anything? " he asked looking at her.

" No," she said quickly, frowning.

" Then stop worrying," he said, " because very shortly you're going to be looking at your baby. Isn't that exciting? "

She let a grin cross her face and he smiled in satisfaction that he'd been able to calm her down.

Becky found herself getting more and more nervous as she and Jack sat side by side as they waited for their appointment, and when it was time for their appointment, she almost jumped out of her seat.

Becky held her breath as she lay on her back in the bed, with the cold gel on her stomach. She bit down on her lip, watching the screen as the doctor scanned her.

The screen was turned away from her, and she tried to figure out what was going on from the doctor's face.

The doctor turned to look at the pair, and smiled, " Miss Clarkson, you've got a very healthy baby."

Becky felt her eyes filling up with tears at the very thought of it all, and turned to look at Jack, who was sitting beside her.

The doctor turned the screen so that they could see, and Becky let out a little gasp as she saw her baby on the screen. She could actually make it out now, as opposed to their first scan, and the fact that there was an actual person growing inside her made her eyes fill with tears.

" That's ... that's my baby," she breathed, not bothering to stop the tears that fell down her cheeks.

She turned to look at Jack and saw him beaming as he looked at the screen too. She felt so connected to him in this moment and she reached out and took hold of his hand without even thinking about it.

" Oh Jack," she gasped.

He squeezed her hand and nodded, his voice thick as if he could still tears of his own if he wasn't careful, " That's our baby," he said, holding her hand tight.

They were both so happy in the moment, and Becky held onto his hand tightly as she looked at the baby she was carrying.

" Would you like to find out what sex the baby is? " the doctor asked them.

Becky nodded but couldn't get any words out, and it was Jack who replied, " Yes please. "

Becky didn't even realise she was holding her breath again until the doctor paused and then finally said, " You're having a boy. "

She gasped all over again and images flooded through her mind, of herself with a baby boy in her arms, and a little boy holding her hand as he grew up, and finally a handsome teenage son.

Beside her, she felt Jack's gasp and splutter and se turned to look at him to see emotion had gotten the better of him. He was clearly absolutely thrilled, and she made no effort to try and stop the tears of happiness that fell down her cheeks.

" Rebecca," he breathed, his hold on her hand so tight that she thought it might break, but she didn't care, " Becky, we're going to have a son. "

" A son," she nodded, looking into his eyes.

The doctor had already left the room, deciding to give them a moment along together, and as Becky looked at her former fiance, she felt so happy that if was almost forgotten that they had split up.

She threw her arms around him and he laughed and hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

Knowing there was a baby boy on the way made everything seem so much more real, and Jack grinned as he kissed her cheek, " You're going to be an amazing mother," he said firmly.

" Come on "daddy"," she laughed, " we should go break the news to the little one's big sister. "

Jack took her home and they excitedly told Maxine their news. Jack stayed for a coffee and a chat, and when it was time to go he hugged Becky warmly, and left an affectionate kiss on her cheek.

He looked at her as they stood in the hallway, and he reached out and rested his hand on her bump. Becky couldn't help but think he was incredibly cute.

She knew he was going to be the most attentive father and she had no doubts about his ability to be a father.

He rested his hand on her bump and said in his best headmaster's voice, " You be good for mummy, little boy, you hear me? Daddy's going to come and see you soon. "

Becky giggled at him, and he smiled and looked up at her, using his stern tone on her too, though his wicked smile undercut it. " And you look after yourself too. "

" Goodbye Jack," she said, rolling her eyes.

He grinned and kissed her cheek again before leaving.

As Becky wandered back into the kitchen, she thought about Jack. Yes, she certainly had no doubts that he was going to be a great father. The only thing she doubted was her own ability not to fall head over heels in love for him again.


	21. Michaela White

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty One

On Monday morning, Becky was extremely happy. She hadn't stopped grinning from the news of her baby's gender and had shared the news with Tom on saturday, when he came around for coffee, and with her godson when she had him over for sunday dinner the day after.

She walked into the school with her grin still in place as she headed for the staffroom, while Maxine had gone off with Janeece.

Maxine had been happy for her foster parents when they'd shared the news, although she'd admitted that she couldn't imagine having a baby boy around the house - actually having a little brother. Though Becky had known Maxine was really happy for them.

Becky walked into the staffroom and, as usual, sat down with her friends who were already there - which at that time was just Tom and Matt.

" How did it go? " Matt asked, as she settled into her seat, " the scan, I mean? "

Becky's huge smile was enough of an answer for anyone, and as she rested her hand on her bump protectively, she said, " It was great. I'm having a little boy! "

Matt grinned, " Becky, that's fantastic! "

She laughed, " I still can't believe I'm going to have a son. A _son. _It all sounds so ... grown up. "

" Becky, you _are _a grown up, and have been for some time actually, " her brother pointed out, to which she shrugged.

" Well I know, but this feels like the most grown up thing I've ever done," she admitted, her eyes shining as she spoke about her unborn child, " I just want to be the world's greatest mum. Oh Matt, d'you want to see the scan? "

" You've got it with you? " Tom asked, raising his eyebrows.

" Course I have," Becky said, rolling her eyes, " I keep it in my purse so I can look at it any time I want. " She pulled it out of her purse with a smile and leant over to pass it to Matt, " that's my little splodge. "

Matt and Tom exchanged a confused look, and Matt asked, " Um ... splodge? "

Becky shrugged, rubbing her bump a little, " Well, _I _think he looks more like a splodge than anything else. Jack says that's silly, but I told him he's not allowed to argue with a pregnant lady. "

" I ... erm suppose he looks like a splodge," Matt nodded, looking amused as he looked down at the scan.

Becky smiled a little, " I suppose it _is _silly, but we don't have a name yet. "

" Well, you could of course name him after your favourite brother," Tom suggested.

Becky smiled, and her smile suddenly became a mischevious smirk, " I don't know if Ian is such a popular name these days. "

" I _meant _Tom," he said, shaking his head.

She grinned as she looked at her beloved brother and thought of her baby boy on his way, " Well, I _could _name him Tom. I'll definitley keep it in mind. Jack and I haven't spoken about it yet to be honest. "

" But you must have something in mind? " Tom asked.

She shrugged, " I don't know. I quite like James. And Harry. And Dylan. There's too many names to choose from, and I don't know which one feels right. For all I know Jack could hate them all, and he'll have a list of names that I hate. And of course I've got to find one that goes with his surname. "

" So will it definitley be his surname? " Tom asked, pulling a face, " aren't we going to have a baby Clarkson? "

" We haven't spoken about that either - but it's going to be Clarkson-Rimmer at least, if not Rimmer," she shrugged.

There was a pause, before Matt cleared his throat, with a cheeky smile, " What if ... what if you call him Clarkson-Rimmer and get back together with Jack? "

Becky almost spat out the orange juice Tom had given her, " Get back together? I ... um ... "

Matt's smile gave away the fact that he'd actually been joking a bit, but Becky wasn't sure what she wanted. She knew she was in danger of falling straight back in love with Jack if she wasn't already, but she couldn't messing it up again when they had a baby.

She shook her head, " Jack and I aren't getting back together. " She put on a big smile, " anyway, I don't need Jack, I've got this litte guy. "

Matt and Tom smiled as she rubbed her bump affectionately.

Matt looked down at the scan, " Well," he said, " I think he's got your eyes. "

Becky laughed just as Jasmine walked into the staffroom. She looked worried and annoyed, and the first person she looked at was Becky.

" Becky, have you got a minute? " she asked.

Becky nodded, " Sure," she said, leaning forwards to take her scan back from Matt and carefully putting it inside her purse.

She started to stand up, but Jasmine shook her head and sat down, " It's not top secret," she said, " no need to get up. "

" So, what can I do for you? " Becky asked with a smile, sinking back into her seat.

Jasmine sighed, looking stressed and running her hand through her hair, " Well, I had a bit of a run in with Michaela White on the way in this morning. She and her little gang were giving Shane Warwick a hard time. "

Becky sighed, " That girl is nothing but trouble. And unfortunately, as pastoral care, I do seem to have a lot of run-ins with him. What was she doing? "

" It looked like bullying to me," Jasmine said, " she was really laying into him, and I tried to get to the bottom of it, but Shane just ... ran off. "

" Well, Shane Warwick's no altar boy," Tom pointed out.

Becky smiled a little and patted Tom's arm, since he was sat next to him, " I'm still pastoral care around here, for a couple more months. "

" Well, the poor boy looked terrified, " Jasmine said.

Becky nodded - she'd dealt with many bullying cases. " I'll sort it out Jasmine, don't worry about it. I'll talk to Shane. "

Jasmine nodded, " Thanks. You know, the sooner we won't have to teach cretins like _her, _the better. "

The other all mumbled their agreement, and Jasmine went off to make a drink, and just as she did so, Davina came in and took the seat Jasmine had just vacated. Davina seemed in a good mood and she smiled.

" So," she said, " I finished my application last night for the teaching. "

" Oh well done," Tom said instantly.

Becky nodded, " That's fantastic, you're going to be a great teacher. "

Matt nodded in agreement, " Yeah, good luck then. "

Davina looked so happy and she grinned at Tom, " D'you fancy going out to celebrate tonight? " she asked him, looking at him with some kind of hope in her eyes.

Tom looked a bit awkward as he said, " Well, I've promised all my girls dinner at that new pizza place in town tonight. "

" All your girls, eh? " Matt asked, shaking his head, with his usual cheeky grin.

Tom rolled his eyes, " Knock it off. I mean my step-daughters, my sister and my foster niece. "

Becky nodded, " And Tom's paying. "

Tom sighed as he looked at Davina, " I'd love for you to come, but ... well, it's awkward, isn't it? "

Davina sighed, now looking annoyed, " I'll wear a shirt buttoned right up to my neck, just for Mika. "

Becky wished Tom didn't worry about what everyone else thought so much, because he and Davina might actually be a good couple. Instead, she smiled at Davina, " Well, Maxine and I don't have any problems with you joining us. "

" Fine," Tom said, giving his sister a little look, sure she was trying to get them together, " about 7:30? I'll warn the girls," he added, standing up.

" Hang on," Becky said, standing up too, " I'm leaving too, I've got to go find Shane, haven't I? "

Tom leaned down and took her bags for her before she had a chance to argue with him, and she'd long since gotten used to him fussing over her, and decided it was quite sweet, and she was more than happy to have someone looking after her.

Tom walked to her office with her and planted her bags on her desk, before going off to his own classroom. Becky didn't have a form group of her own - which she supposed meant she'd be getting one next time around because she was one of the few teachers without a form - so used registration to go to Steph's form and ask for Shane Warwick.

She took Shane to her office, and once they got there, she gestured to the sofa.

She used the sofa to have informal chats with her pupils, and she sat down with him.

" Right Shane," she said softly, " I want to know what happened this morning. "

" This morning? " he asked, not meeting her eyes.

Becky told him what Jasmine said she'd seen that morning, and when she was through, Shane shook his head vigorously. " I'm not being bullied," he said.

" Shane, sweetie, I just want to help you," Becky told him, using the tone she always used when trying to get someone to open up to her, " so just talk me through what happened, because Miss Koreshi - "

Shane interrupted her, " Miss, Miss Koreshi doesn't know what she's talking about. Honest, she just went crazy and threw Michaela against a car. "

Becky was suprised that Jasmine would do something like that and she raised her eyebrows, " Really? " she asked, " and this ... this actually happened? "

" Yeah! " Shane insisted, " she never even asked what was going on, she just charged straight in. "

" Shane, this had better be the truth," she said seriously.

" Miss, I wouldn't lie to you," Shane said, " if I was being bullied I'd tell you. "

Becky knew she wasn't getting anything else out of him - he was very confident about what he was saying, and he seemed very sure about what had happened. There was nothing else she could do and she nodded.

" Fine," she said, " but I wannt you to come and find me if you've got anything else to say. "

Shane agreed, and when he'd left, Becky decided she next had to go to see Jasmine. Luckily Becky was free first thing, and although Jasmine wasn't, when Becky walked by her classroom and saw she had only a year seven class who didn't seem to be doing much, she thought Jasmine could be spared for a moment.

She asked for a word with Jasmine, and when they left the classroom and went into the corridor, Tom also happened to be walking past.

" Hey, don't you two have somewhere to be? " he asked with a smile.

" I was just about to tell Jasmine about my conversation with Shane," Becky told him, " shouldn't _you _be somewhere? "

He waved the books in his hands around a bit, " Just picking up a few extra copies of Much Ado About Nothing," he said, " so how did it go? "

Becky told Jasmine, while Tom listened, that Shane insisted nothing was going on, but that Jasmine had gone crazy. Jasmine shook her head, looking outraged.

" It's all lies! " she insisted, before taking a breath, " I had to drag her off him because she was beating him up. " She let out a frustrated groan, " she's lucky I didn't slap her one. Everyone knows she's evil "

" True," Tom mumbled.

Becky shook her head in pity at the young woman, " From your point of view, it was definitley bullying? "

" She was beating him around the head and forcing his arm through a car window! " Jasmine insisted.

" Ok," Becky said calmly, " Jasmine, Shane won't tell me anything. He says there was no bullying. "

" But there was! "

" Fine," nodded Becky, " of course I had to tell you first, but I'm going to see Michaela next. Don't worry about it Jas, I'll get to the bottom of it. "

She went straight from there to pull Michaela out of her geography lesson for a word. She took Michaela to her office and sat down with her. She started by telling Michaela what Jasmine said she'd seen this morning, just wanting to hear a view from everyone and get everyone's word on it.

Michaela had the attitude on straight away.

" That's crap," she said, " you can just ask Sasha and Anna. "

Becky held up her hand, " Less of the attitude, please. They'll probably tell me whatever you tell them to say, so how would I know they're telling me the truth? "

" Then ask Shane," Michaela insisted, " he'll tell you what happened. "

Becky sighed heavily, frowning. She'd asked everyone involved and the kids were firmly on the same side - unfortunately the opposite side to poor Jasmine. Becky tried to figure out how she could get to the bottom of it when everyone seemed so unready to budge, and decided the best way forward was to ring up Rachel and let her know what was going on.

She felt sure that Jasmine wouldn't lie about anything but with both of the kids sticking to their stories, it was going to be hard to get anywhere.

At break time, Becky was stood in the kitchen area, when Jasmine came over to her.

" I've just been called to Rachel's office," she said, " and Rachel gave me a huge vote of confidence by telling me I was probably wrong with the whole Michaela thing. "

" Jasmine, no-one's saying you did anything wrong," Becky said, turning to face her and trying to put her at ease, " I'm not saying you did anything wrong. I'm just thinking, Michaela's clever and se knows we've got no proof. "

" Oh," Jasmine said, instantly looking suprised, " so ... you _do _believe me? "

Becky saw the vulnerability in Jasmine and smiled a little, " I do, but we just can't prove anything, so in this case, if no-one budges, we're going to have to let it go. "

Jasmine sighed, " i just saw the spiteful cow in the corridor now, and she was trying to wind me up. "

" Don't let it get to you," Becky told her, " how about I make you a cuppa while we're here? Hey, you haven't seen my little scan photo, have you? "

After break Becky had her year 12 class for a double lesson, and she was also happy to teach them because they were well behaved and actually quite a laugh. She could talk to her class - including Maxine, Chlo and Donte - while they worked and she quite enjoyed it.

Half an hour before lunch was about to start, Eddie came into the classroom and asked her if she could come to the office. He'd brought a supply teacher with him to cover her lesson until lunch.

She and Eddie went to the office, and when they got there, Rachel got out of her desk chair to allow Becky to take a seat. Becky smiled gratefully as she sat down, and when she sat there, Rachel sat on the edge of the desk and Eddie stood up with his arms folded.

Becky briefly thought of all the times she'd sat behind the desk when the office belonged to Jack. She couldn't stop the tingle that shot up her spine, when she remembered that she'd actually been sat on Jack's knee most of the time.

Turning her mind to the matter at hand, she listened when Rachel announced, " Michaela is accusing Jasmine of abuse. "

" What? " Becky asked, shaking her head, " no! I don't believe it. "

Rachel sighed, " Well, she's just been to see me, and she's got a big bruise under her eye, so someone's hit her. And Shane _did _say Michaela threw her against a car. "

" No way though," Eddie said, " Jasmine just hasn't got it in her. "

Becky was glad Eddie was at least on their side, and she thought back to Jasmine's comment that she felt like she could hit Michaela. She knew Jasmine hadn't meant it, and she decided to keep quiet about it, because she knew there was no way that Jasmine would ever act on it.

This was clearly some kind of set up by Michaela and her friends.

Rachel sighed, " Well, we've got to invstigate. I saw for myself how angry Jasmine was. We need written statements from Michaela and her friends. "

" Get them to tell the truth more like," Eddie said, shaking his head.

Becky agreed - both she and Eddie firmly believed that Jasmine was innocent - but Rachel sighed, seeming to struggle over it. Rachel shook her head, " We will play it by the book," she corrected. "

Becky thought about the fact that if Jack was here, and he was dealing with this, the _one _thing he wouldn't have done was play it by the book, if it meant getting the results. She'd always thought his maverick attitude could be a bit reckless, but he always did it with the right intentions and got the right results.

When they both knew Jasmine was innocent, it would be much easier than having to go through all of this.

" Rachel, they're setting her up," Becky said, " anyone can see that. Just because Jasmine was angry doesn't mean she'd actually hit the girl. Michaela's playing on this because she knows it's her word against Jasmine's. "

" We have to be seen to do things properly to have the best chance of helping Jasmine," Rachel said firmly, " Becky, will you try and get something else out of Shane? And Eddie, I want written statements from Michaela and her friends. I'll phone her parents, get them in for a word. "

Becky's conversation with Shane still resulted in him insisting there was no bullying going on, and by the time she went to lunch, she was completely fed up.

She ran her hand through her hair as she sat down in an empty seat, surrounded by Grantly, Tom, Jasmine and Davina.

Jasmine's situation was the topic of conversation, and Grantly shook his head, " Don't worry," he told the young english teacher, " even with the establishment against us all, it's relatively hard to get a teacher the sack. "

Jasmine sounded scared, " But Rachel said if they can prove it, she's going to sack me! "

" It won't come to that," Becky insisted.

" Definitley won't," Tom agreed.

Jasmine sniffed, " She won't have a choice. I wouldn't send _my _kids to a school where the teachers hit the pupils. "

" Wouldn't you? " Grantly asked quickly, " why do you think we're in the state we're in? There's not enough hitting around these days. "

The others all exchanged looks and shook their heads, and Davina was the one to take it up. " That attitude from her union rep isn't going to help, is it? "

Becky agreed, " Grantly," she said, " whatever your opinions on hitting, could we all at least _pretend _to be upstanding members of the community who are _against _violence when we have to go see Rachel about all of this? "

Grantly grunted and nodded.

" Becky, you're definitley on my side, aren't you? As head of pastoral care, having you on side is going to be a huge bonus, surely? " Jasmine asked, extremely worried.

" Absolutely," she said, " it's just with Shane sticking to his story ... "

" And you _did _say you'd like to hit her," Tom added.

" Wouldn't we all," Grantly mumbled.

" Exactly," Becky said firmly, " which is why I didn't see fit to mention that little comment to Rachel - we all know you didn't mean it, and it would just cause more trouble. We're going to fix this. "

Straight after lunch, they went to see Rachel, who'd been meeting with Michaela's father over lunch time. In the office, were Rachel, Eddie, Becky, Grantly and Jasmine.

Rachle handed the statements of Michaela, Sasha and Anna to Becky, who glanced over them all - all of them agreed with each other, and all of them condemned Jasmine.

Becky frowned when she was finished with them and handed them to Grantly, who looked over them with Jasmine.

Grantly shook his head, " Naturally we deny all the ridiculous allegations thrown at Miss Koreshi. "

Rachel frowned, " They've all said exactly the same thing though. "

" "Exactly" is the right word," Grantly agreed, shaking his head, as he looked at all three, reading bits out from them " "she threw" T-H-R-O-U-G-H ... "she threw" ... "she threw" God help us, they've even spelt all the same words wrong. "She battered me" "battered Michaela" "battered Michaela". "

" Well, there aren't too many ways to describe what happened," Rachel said.

" Nothing happened! " Jasmine argued.

" They all chose _battered_," Grantly said, as Becky thought about the fact that it was becoming more and more likely that they were conspiring against Jasmine, " why? "

" They all collaberated," Becky said, determined to get Jasmine heard fairly, " They must have. "

Eddie nodded, " It's like a game to them. I certainly wouldn't put it past them. "

Rachel sighed heavily, " So you _all _think it's a lie? "

" Yes," everyone said at once.

" We have to do things properly," Rachel tried to reason, " we've got the words of three pupils, and I think they wrote them together, but to the outside world ... " there was a long pause, before Rachel looked final, as if she'd made her decision. " Jasmine, I'm suspending you with immediate effect. "

Becky groaned, feeling sorry for Jasmine, " Rachel," she said, " isn't there any other way? This is Jasmine's career! She's young, dedicated, full of potential. We can't let _Michaela White _try and ruin it for her. "

Rachel shook her head without replying but the look on Eddie and Grantly's faces was enough to show that they both agreed with her.

Rachel handed some papers over to Jasmine, " The terms are all explained in there. You are to leave immediately and not return until I instruct you to do so. I'm sorry Jasmine, this is the last thing I wanted to have to do. "

" Then don't," Grantly said quickly as Jasmine shook her head, unable to believe any of it.

" I didn't even do it," Jasmine said, looking close to tears, " how ... how can you punish me? "

" No-one in this room thinks you're guilty," Becky said quickly.

Eddie nodded, " Absolutely. We're going to have to investigate and we will get to the bottom of it. "

As Rachel apologised again, Jasmine had had enough and left the room quickly. Eddie sighed and followed and Becky felt very sorry for Jasmine - Jasmine was young with a whole career ahead of her and she didn't deserve this.

" Rebecca, it's procedure," Rachel said, knowing the younger woman was unhappy with it all.

" It's a joke, is what it is," Becky said firmly, to which Grantly nodded.

Rachel didn't reply straight away, and Becky shook her head, trying to think about it. It all seemed so unfair, and she couldn't stop herself from snapping, " Jack wouldn't have stood for it, you know. Jack would have made sure we got the right result and he'd have done whatever it took. "

Grantly watched in suprise, although he agreed. He'd always had a fair amount of respect for Jack Rimmer, which coming from Grantly was a huge thing.

Rachel knew Becky was passionate about what she believed in and let it slide as she said, " We've got to - "

Becky interrupted, so wound up, " This is Jasmine's career. There must be a way around it. "

" We can't do anything else," Rachel said cooly.

Becky shook her head, " This is rubbish. It makes her look guilty you know, making her leave the school all of a sudden. "

Grantly mumbled some kind of agreement.

" What exactly am I supposed to do, Rebecca? " Rachel asked, frowning, unsure what the other woman wanted her to do about it.

Becky sighed, running her hand through her hair as she tried to think about it, and suddenly all of her feelings were spilling into words before she knew what she was really saying.

" I don't know," she said, " but Jack would have found a way out. When Lewis Seddon tried to sexually abuse me a while back, and accused _me _of trying it on with _him _and the governors didn't expell him, Jack didn't play it by the book. But he got the right result. "

" Well, Jack Rimmer is no longer headmaster of this school," Rachel said firmly.

" More's the pity," Grantly mumbled.

Becky sighed and left the room.

By the end of the day, she was completely fed up, and she met Tom and the three teenage girls near the main entrance of the school. Tom immediately took her bag of marking from her and she smiled gratefully.

" You ok? " he asked, " the whole Jasmine thing must be stressful. "

Becky nodded, " Yeah but ... well, we'll get to the bottom of it. "

Tom nodded too, and then looked at his step daughters, " Listen you lot, about the pizza tonight - "

Mika shook her head, " Oh I totally forgot about it. Brett's coming around tonight. "

" Brett? " Becky repeated, exchanging a confused look with her brother.

" Don't go reading anything into it," Mika said with a coy smile.

" I forgot too," Maxine confessed, " Janeece wants me to go round to hers Becky, so can I? Her mum'll give me a lift home later on. "

Becky smiled, " Course you can. You walking to Janeece's, or do you need a lift? "

" I'm ok," Maxine said.

Beky hugged her foster daughter, who then left, and when she'd gone - as had Mika - Tom, Becky and Chlo walked out of the school and slowly started across the car park.

" Tom, what you were going to say," Chlo started, " did it have anything to do with Davina joining us? "

" She kind of pushed me into it," Tom nodded as they stopped halfway across the car park.

Chlo frowned, " So, you don't want her to? " Chlo sighed, " Tom, stop worrying about what me and Mika think. You deserve to be happy. So maybe I'll drop out of the pizza too - you two should spend some time together. "

Becky laughed, squeezing Chlo's arm, " I'm glad to see you're in on my match-making. "

Chlo smiled mischeviously as she told her almost-aunt, " I've got all sorts of ideas for match making, believe me. "

Tom shook his head, " We're not going anywhere. Chlo, you should get to know her. "

Becky sighed as she looked at Tom, " Tom, I already know Davina pretty well, so is it alright if I drop out of this? "

Tom rolled his eyes and Becky put on her best pout, " Tommy, I'm no fun any more anyway - you don't want me there. I'm tired all the time, and my feet are swollen to hell. "

Chlo pulled a face at the thought of it and Becky nudged her, " I _saw _that. You're going to have it all to come one day. "

Tom cleared his throat and looked at his younger sister sternly.

Becky quickly added, " But, erm, a very long time in the future, I might add, young lady. "

Tom nodded in satisfaction and then sighed, " Fine you've officially got the night off, and you can go to bed early like some boring old woman. "

She laughed and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek, " See you tomorrow, Tommy. "


	22. Jasmine

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty Two

Two weeks later, Becky pulled up in the school's car park. As she got out of the car, she looked over at Maxine, who was getting out of the passengers side.

" Have fun on your trip today," she said, slamming the car door.

The teenager smiled, " I will. "

" And at least try to behave for Miss Haydock and Mr Wilding, won't you? " Becky added, locking the car and walking around to the other side.

" I will," Maxine said.

Becky smiled, " I'll see you later, sweetie. "

Maxine went off to join her friends, and Becky threw her handbag over her shoulder and started towards the school. Just as she did so, she heard her name called from behind her and turned to see her brother.

She waited for him to catch up to her, and just as he was coming towards her, she felt something. Her eyes widened as she felt movement in her stomach and her hand shot to her stomach as she looked down.

" Becky? Becky, is something wrong? "

She looked up when she heard Tom's voice and he noticed that her expression was one of complete shock.

" Tom," she said, a smile starting to spread across her face, " I think the baby just kicked. "

" Seriously? " he asked, grinning, " really? "

Becky laughed, " Yeah! Oh I've been desperate for the baby to kick for weeks now, I ... oh my god, this is brilliant. " She felt her eyes filling up with tears but she quickly swallowed and managed to push them away and Tom looked completely estatic too.

She squealed as she felt it happen again and she grabbed his arm, " Tom, he's doing it again. "

He laughed, " I don't suppose Uncle Tom could have a little feel? "

Becky laughed as they stood by her car, and he reached out and rested his hand against her stomach. Becky gasped in delight when she felt her baby kicking again and Tom laughed, looking absolutely thrilled.

She knew the reason Tom was so protective and so involved was because he thought he'd never have any children of his own now.

" Oh Becky, that's brilliant," Tom said, " my little nephew's got quite a kick on him. "

Becky smiled and threw her arms around Tom. He laughed and hugged her tightly and she grinned as they walked into school. She rested her hand on her bump, and Tom chuckled to himself.

" You know," he said, " maybe my nephew's going to be a footballer one day. Eh, maybe he could play for Man City? "

Becky laughed, " Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet. "

They walked into the school to see that there were no lights on. Becky frowned as she looked up and shook her head, " What's going on? "

As they walked towards the staircase and looked up, they saw that someone had taken the long white light fittings down, and both stopped and stared upwards at them.

" What's going on? " asked a voice behind them.

They both turned to see Eddie and Becky frowned. " Well," she said, shaking her head as she looked up at the ceiling, " I can't be sure but I _think _someone's stolen the lights. "

Tom nodded, " It's just a _slight _problem, but the whole school seems to be dark. "

Eddie rolled his eyes at the pair, " Less of the sarcasm please, you two," he said, " who the _hell _would steal lights? "

" Us! " another voice announced.

Mika and Brett hurried along the corridor, both holding one of the light fittings, and Becky stared at them in confusion.

" Mika! " Tom scolded, " what's going on? "

" We're trying to reduce our carbon footprints," Mika informed them all firmly, " we don't want out planet to _die _do we? "

" We've bought some better ones," Brett added, as if to try and make up for it, " we just want to do some good. "

" This is a working school," Eddie sighed, " you can't_ do _this! "

Becky sighed and held up her hands, " If you don't mind Eddie, I'm going to leave this one to you. I don't think it really concerns me and I'd love a sit down. "

Eddie and Brett parted to allow her to get between them and walk off up the stairs.

Tom followed her, after a glare at Mika and a look that said they'd discuss it later.

" Have you heard from Jas? " Tom asked his sister.

Jasmine was still suspended and in the two weeks since her suspension, no-one - not even the boy who had been bullied - was changing their stories, which didn't look particularly good for Jasmine, but her collegues were all behind her.

" I ws going to call on her tonight," Becky replied, " but Rachel rung me last night to say the hearing is tonight, so I suppose I'll see her there. "

" Poor Jasmine," mumbled Tom, " she's so young, this must be such a knock to her confidence. "

" She's going to come out of this just fine," Becky said, " Tom, we've both been in this kind of position. I could have lost my job when Lewis Seddon tried to say Kim and I had conspired to seduce him. You could have lost your job when Stacey Appleyard said you'd come on to her last year. But both of us came out of it just fine, and so will she. "

Jasmine was a topic of conversation all day long and everyone was worried about her.

At break time, Becky was sitting down, pouring over a magazine, while Grantly sat opposite her, checking out the Racing Post, and Tom sat beside her with a mug of coffee.

Eddie came into the room and sat down in the empty chair beside Grantly, sighing heavily.

" Well," he said, " I went to see Jasmine this morning. "

" How is she? " Becky asked, thinking of the young english teacher.

Eddie shook his head, " Not so good. She's not coping well. She's talking about resigning before she gets pushed. "

" Oh no," Becky sighed, " she can't do that - they might not sack her! She can't just quit. "

" Poor kid's got her mind set on it," Eddie said, shaking his head, " I don't know how to convince her out of it. "

Grantly lowered the paper to nod towards a supply teacher at the other side of the room, doing some marking. The man had been covering Jasmine's lessons for the past two weeks, and had been into Waterloo Road a handful of times before that whenever they needed english or media studies cover.

" Well," Grantly grumbled, " him over there will be happy if she quits. If you ask me, he's sniffing around for something more permanent. "

The man - Mr Bingham, Becky thought his name was, though she couldn't quite remember - wasn't a particular favourite of theirs. There was nothing particularly wrong with him, but he just seemed to be trying to impress everyone too much.

Grantly sighed and gestured towards Becky, " Thank God he's not a history teacher, otherwise he'd be after Rebecca's job in the summer, when she has the baby. "

" There's no vacancies anywhere," Eddie said, annoyed at the thought of replacing Jasmine.

Becky shook her head, " I'm not that keen on him either. Last week, you know, he asked me if I wanted to go out for a drink. A drink! Do I _look _like I'm in any condition to be drinking? "

" Idiot," Tom mumbled under his breath.

A thought occured to Becky, " Anyway, Jasmine aside, there is a part time vacancy, isn't there? Isn't your media teacher going on maternity leave next week, Grantly? "

Grantly nodded, " Helena Morris. Her fifth child, I think," he added with disdain, " with her 3rd husband. "

Becky nodded, " Maybe he'll try for that role, at least until Rachel came find an actual media teacher. "

Grantly looked at Eddie as he pulled something out of his pocket, " Anyway, I hate to add to your bad mood, but I took this off the main noticeboard this morning. "

He held it out to Eddie, and Becky saw that it was a poster with a big picture of Eddie's car on it, and the words "Who cares about our planet?" above it, and the answer "not Mr Lawson" below it.

" Mika," Tom sighed, shaking his head, as Eddie looked outraged. " I'll have a word," Tom said.

" No," Eddie said firmly, standing up, " _I'll _have a word. "

Tom sighed, " Look, no offence, but you kicking off isn't exactly going to help. Mika's bloody stubborn. "

Eddie shook his head, " I'll go have a word. "

Once he'd left, Tom groaned, " I wish I didn't have to deal with Mika and this stupid rebellion thing? What kind of teenager cares about the planet? Why can't she just not care, like everyone else? "

Becky laughed, " She's just passionate about something, it's not entirely bad. There are far worse things she could be doing. "

" Well you saw Eddie," Tom said, shaking his head, " she can't be going around annoying the deputy head. I'll have to get her to knock it on the head. "

The year 13 class were her next class, and Mika and Brett sat together at the table right at the front of the room. When they'd split up, Mika had moved to the other end of the room, but now they were friends again - and Becky wasn't sure if they were friends or more - she'd moved to sit with him again.

" Right," Becky said, coming to stand at the front of the room once she'd handed out the worksheets, " so this is a specification for the topic we're starting today. King Henry II and the Church. "

She stopped when she saw Mika writing on a piece of paper and mumbling to Brett.

" Something more important than this, Mika? " she asked with a slight smile, sitting on the edge of her desk.

Mika looked up apologetically, " I'm sorry," she said, " I was just ... Mr Lawson asked Brett and me to try and tackle bullying, rather than the environment. "

" Bullying? " Becky asked, thinking of one bully in particular as the rest of the class listened in on the conversation.

Brett nodded, " Specifically Michaela White. "

" Mr Lawson asked you to tackle Michaela White? " Becky asked, wondering what was on Eddie's mind - it must be linked to trying to get proof that Jasmine was innocent.

Brett nodded, " He pointed out that as members of the school council, we could hold quite a lot of influence, and we should focus our energies into getting rid of bullies. "

Mika nodded, " And after I had an argument with Michaela in the toilets, I've told people if they know anything about Michaela bullying anyone they should report it to me. "

Becky smiled a little, " Good on you," she said with a nod.

She realised that if Michaela was proven to be a bully, it would cast a completely different light on the allegations against Jasmine, and she could leave without any blemish against her reputation.

" Right," she said, looking around at the class, " well, I think if anyone knows anything about Michaela bullying anyone, it ought to be reported to the school council then. "

Chlo nodded, " Michaela's an evil cow. "

Becky shrugged, " I can't condone name calling in my classroom, but ... well, I can let you come to your own conclusions about whether I agree with you. Now, back to medieval history? "

At lunch, Becky sat down opposite Tom and stuck her fork into her pasta, absent mindedly thinking about Jasmine.

" So Jasmine's hearing is tonight? " Tom asked her.

Becky nodded, " We only found out last night, so I'll be going there this evening. Eddie's gone to tell Jas about all this campaigning the school council are doing to get people to report Michaela as a bully. "

Tom sighed, " Poor Jas. She can't just ... she can't just ... quit. "

Becky nodded, " Eddie's desperate to talk her out of it, but I don't know how much we can really do. All we can do is try. "

At the end of the day, Becky went to Rachel's office, passing Rachel standing in the corridor, talking to Stuart Hordley - the man who'd got the school's building contract - on the way.

Eddie was already sitting on the edge of Rachel's desk, and Becky helped herself to a chair.

" How was she this afternoon? " Becky asked, leaning back in the chair.

Eddie shook his head and sighed, " Not so good. Tried to give me her resignation - not that I'd accept it, of course. I don't even know if she'll turn up. "

" Really? "

Eddie nodded solemnly, " She's young, newly qualified and inexperienced, and she thinks she can't recover from this. She's adamant that she wants out of the whole profession. "

" Such a waste," mumbled Becky.

" It won't come to it," Eddie said firmly.

When Rachel came into the room - having graciously not mentioned Becky's outburst on the day of Jasmine's suspension, in which she'd basically told Rachel she thought Jack was a better head - she announced the governors were on their way.

They waited for some kind of signal that the governors were coming, and it came when there was a knock at the office door.

Rachel shouted a "come in" and in walked Nigel, the chair of governors.

Becky didn't particularly like Nigel. The first time she'd met Nigel, it was when they'd gone to a meeting to try and get Seddon expelled for his sexual advances on her. The next time, was when the governors had briefly given Jack's job to Andrew, under the advice of Roger Aspinall. And the last was when the governors had been in to sort out Jack's problems over how he'd handled the budget, and Jack had ended up resigning.

She'd come to assosciate Nigel with bad news.

Nigel came into the office and shook Rachel's hand, then Eddie's, and turned to look at Becky.

Becky knew he didn't like her, because he had never liked Jack, so he'd never liked her by association. She hadn't seen him since October, when Jack resigned, she supposed.

His eyes travelled down to her stomach, and he looked back up at her eyes, " Miss Clarkson," he said, " I see congratulations are in order. "

" Thank you," she mumbled.

Nigel nodded, " I hadn't heard that you and Mr Rimmer were expecting a baby. "

Becky smiled politely, " Well, we are," she said, without telling him that they weren't together any more - she didn't think it was particularly neccessary to tell him that she and Jack had split up. Nigel saw her very very rarely and Jack never, so for all he knew, she and Jack were still happily together, and she saw no reason for him to be corrected, when it had very little to do with him.

They went to the board room, where a long table was set out, and the rest of the governors were all there.

They sat in the room, Rachel and Eddie on either side of Nigel, and Becky on Eddie's other side.

They all sat in silence, and Jasmine was late.

" Was Miss Koreshi aware of the time of the meeting? " Nigel asked, while Becky looked at Michaela, sitting opposite her, and her father.

They all nodded silently, sadly. Becky silently hoped Jas would still show up.

" Well, it's unfortunate she hasn't chosen to appear," Nigel said loftily, " she must be less than certain of her own defence. "

" Actually," Eddie interrupted, making Becky's hope soar, as she thought of Jasmine's bit of saving grace that Eddie had pushed, " before we start, I'd like to show you this report, if that's alright? "

" Is it relevant? " asked Nigel.

" I'll let everyone else be the judge," Eddie shrugged, calmly laying out the sheets of paper in front of him, and passing a few around to the other people in the room, making sure all the governors got one.

" This was complied by our school council," Eddie said, " and lists over 40 incidents of bullying, all perputrated by Michaela. "

" You what? " Michaela demanded, shaking her head and looking shocked.

Becky smirked a little, trying to cover it with a sweet smile, " Hey, Eddie, maybe we should take a look at some of those - just to be sure, of course. "

Eddie nodded, reading off the paper, " Of course. First day back, Michaela White held the head of a year eight boy in a full sink of water until he almost passed out. "

Michaela's dad looked completely suprised, and Becky supposed he must be one of those who thought their child was perfect.

Michaela was starting to look a bit panicked as she informed her dad, " It's all lies. "

Mr White nodded, " Of course. Got to be, hasn't it? You teachers all just close ranks - stick together. "

Eddie shrugged at Michaela, " So you don't remember this particular instance of bullying? That's alright, I'm sure there are plenty more. What about this - and this one had seven witnesses. Michaela and her gang forced a year 7 boy to eat grass and moo. "

Nigel cleared his throat, " Well, if this is true, it really does cast a different light on the whole situation. "

Becky nodded and leaned forwards a little, " I'm afraid Michael White is nothing more than a bully and a thug, and this proves it. As head of pastoral care, I've dealt with many kids who've been bullied and I know many of them were too scared to tell me who the bully was - and we are looking at the bully. "

Michaela shook her head, " No. Dad, honest, it was all Sasha and Anna. I was just there! Koreshi hit me - I had a bruise. There's no getting around that! "

Nigel sighed, " That _is _a valid point. Especially as Miss Koreshi isn't here to defend herself against these claims. "

Becky sighed, shaking her head, " Please, this is all ridiculous. Just because Jasmine hasn't turned up, it doesn't automatically make her guilty. "

" Rebecca," Rachel said, recognising the signs of her passionate young head of pastoral care about to get worked up, " you shouldn't be getting stressed. "

There was a knock at the door to interrupt the whole situation, and Becky smiled as Jasmine walked into the room, looking very nervous.

" I'm sorry I'm late," Jasmine said, " but what I've got to say won't take long. I didn't batter Michaela. "

" Say's who? " Michaela demanded, her cheeky smirk in place.

" Says your friends," Jasmine said, making everyone else in the room stare at her in shock, " they just confessed to me, that it was Sasha who hit you. "

Eddie laughed in delight, " So, there's no case here then. "

Rachel nodded, " Jasmine, if Sasha and Anna are going to withdraw their statements then you can leave here without a blemish against your name. "

Nigel nodded, " Right," he said, standing up, " we seem to have wasted everyone's time here then. Miss Koreshi, I must apology for the inconvenience- there is quite clearly no case here. "

When they left the room, out in the corridor, Jasmine, Eddie and Becky lingered, while Rachel went off with the governors, who she'd promised to take out for a drink, as reluctant about it as she was.

Becky smiled, " Congratulations Jas, we all knew you wouldn't be found guilty of anything. We all knew you hadn't done it. "

Jasmine smiled, " Thanks for believing in me. "

Becky reached out and the two women shared a warm hug, and when they pulled apart, Jasmine said, " I'm guessing you had something to do with the school council putting together this report, since Mika's part of the school council. "

Becky shook her head, " Jas, it was all down to Eddie," she said.

Jasmine looked at Eddie, who looked a little bashful, and Jasmine smiled, " Still, thanks for sticking by me. "

Becky grinned, " Well done again, Jasmine. I'll see you very soon. "

When Becky got home, she went into the living room to find Maxine sitting on the sofa, a box of maltesers on her knee and the tv on.

" Hey sweetie," Becky said, sitting down in the armchair and looking at the screen. Maxine was watching Desperate Housewives, which was her favourite tv show, and Becky's too. Becky had bought her the series one dvds a while ago, and on the screen Eva Longoria and her teenage gardener were rolling around on an expensive looking table.

Maxine grinned, " Hey. Jack called for you. "

" Did he? " Becky asked, catching the malteser Maxine threw at her and popping it in her mouth, " how long ago? "

" About half a hour. "

" Did he say what he wants? " Becky asked, trying to remember if there was some kind of appointment she was forgetting about.

" No. "

Becky shrugged, " Alright. Suppose I ought to call him back. "

She went into the kitchen, picking up the house phone from the table at the bottom of the staircase on the way. She dialled Jack's number as she sat down at the kitchen table.

" Hello? "

She'd phoned him on his landline, so she realised he wouldn't know that it was her, and she put her feet up on the chair opposite her, " Jack, it's me. "

His tone suddenly became a lot warmer, " Becky, hi love, how are you? "

" I'm good, I'm good thanks," she said.

" And how's my little boy? " he added, sounding like he was smiling a lot.

Becky giggled a little, letting her hand rest on her stomach, " We're all good. He kicked me this morning, actually. "

Jack laughed, " Really? He ... really? "

" Yeah! Been doing it all day, actually. Tom reckons he's going to play for City one day, but either way, he's already trying to kick the hell out of his mumy," she said.

" Oh my god," Jack said.

She laughed too, " Wait until you feel it, it's so ... amazing. Anyway, Maxine said you called for me? "

" Yeah," he said, " I thought we were going to decide when you wanted me to come and help you get the furniture up in the baby's room? Only, I had a few idea about decorating - I thought maybe you could let me paint it for him? "

Becky considered it and then said, " Well, you _were _always a dab hand when it came to painting. "

" I've got loads of ideas," he said.

She nodded, " Look, I haven't actually bought any furniture yet. You'll have to wait until I've bought a cot, because you can put that up while you're here, and I've still got to clear it out properly. What about the weekend after next? Give me some chance to buy everything I need you to put up for me. "

" Well, that's my brothers birthday," he said, " his 40th. We're supposed to be going out for a meal - him and the wife, me, my mum and dad. My sisters. "

Becky nodded.

In the course of her two year relationship with Jack, she'd met his parents a few times, and liked them both, and his brother and sister in law, and two sisters only a couple of times, such as his mother's 65th birthday, his parents 40th wedding anniversary and his niece's christening.

She wasn't particularly fond of his brother or his sisters.

" How about the weekend after? " she heard him suggest.

She considered it and then nodded, " Right, sounds good to me. "


	23. Janeece

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty-Three

Becky opened the boot of the car three weeks later when they got to school and pulled out a bag of year ten book that she'd marked and had to give back, out of the boot. She also took out a batch of new textbooks and tried to balance them in her arms.

She threw her handbag over her shoulder as she slammed the boot down, and as she closed the pasenger door, Maxine commented, " It's Mr Bingham's last day today, isn't it? "

Wilson Bingham had covered Jasmine's classes for two weeks during her suspension, and when Jasmine had returned, he'd gone on to cover classes for the media studies teacher.

He'd been covering media for two weeks, and after a month at the school, he was due to leave today - he was really an enligh teacher, and Rachel had now managed to get hold of a media studies teacher to cover the remainder of Mrs Morris' maternity leave.

Becky raised her eyebrows at Maxine, " And why might that be of interest to you? "

Maxine shrugged, " I suppose it's not really. It's just, Janeece mentioned it, so ... "

Becky smiled as they walked into the school, " I'm sure Janeece shouldn't worry about Mr Bingham. He's proved quite popular with the staff - "

Which he had actually, she supposed, after an initial period where he'd tried to chat up every woman in the staffroom, although they'd later put it down to him just trying to make friends and trying to fit in. He'd actually proved himself to be alright after a while, and he always seemed to be working hard to try and impress for some kind of permanent role.

Becky added, " and I'm sure he'll be able to find something new pretty quickly. " She frowned, " has Janeece got some kind of crush on him? "

" No," Maxine said, shaking her head, " she's been seeing some new lad. "

Becky nodded, realising she'd heard a mention of Janeece's new boyfriend the other week now she came to think about it, " Ah, of course - is this the boy where she cancelled your cinema trip last week to go out to pizza hut with him? "

" That's the one," Maxine nodded, " I don't know who he is, but she seems pretty into him. "

Becky and Maxine went their seperate ways then, and Becky went up to the staffroom. She found Davina, Tom and Jasmine sat down together, while Steph and Grantly stood in the kitchen area.

" Morning," she said brightly.

" Becky," Tom said, shaking his head, " _what _are you doing? "

" What? " she asked innocently, putting her bags on the floor and sinking into a chair.

" Rebecca," he sighed, " you're supposed to be taking care of yourself. Which doesn't include carrying heavy things. How many times have I told you? "

" Well who _else _was going to carry them? " she asked, shaking her head as she met her brother's eyes, " in case you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of alone. "

" Becky," he said, shaking her head, " will you please just stop being so stubborn? It's only because I care. "

" I know," she sighed, resting her hand on her bump.

Wilson came into the staffroom then, and he smiled at his collegues, sitting down in an empty chair, and putting a thick load of papers down on the table.

" What's that? " Tom asked.

" Year 12 coursework," Wilson replied, running a hand through his blonde hair.

Becky raised her eyebrows in suprise, " Marked already? Jesus, it always takes me forever to get through _one _of my coursework essays. "

" Me too," Tom agreed, " I've never seen anyone mark 5000 words essays and check all the references so quickly. "

Wilson tried to shrug it off, and when Eddie walked into the room, Tom grinned and looked over at the deputy head as he strode across the room. " Hey Eddie, have you seen this? He's marked all of Helena's coursework, you want to sign this bloke up. "

Grantly scoffed, " Knowing Mrs Morris, she'll be having her 6th child as soon as she comes back from maternity leave with this one, so there's hardly in point in letting her come back. "

Eddie looked at Wilson quite blankly, " Huh? Oh, that's great - well done. "

Becky thought he seemed quite distracted as he walked off.

Her eyes followed Eddie across the room, and then decided she fancied a drink. Only Steph was in the kitchen area now, and Becky slowly stood up, going to make herself a drink. Tom followed, and flicked the kettle on before folding his arms and leaning against the counter, watching Becky lean down and get her orange juice from the fridge.

Steph sighed, " I don't see it myself," she said, sipping her coffee as Grantly went over to talk to Jasmine about covering oe of his lessons.

" See what? " Tom asked, while Becky stood in the kitchen area between them.

" Wilson and his inexhaustable supply of drooling females, " Steph said, making Becky atually smile a bit. She and Becky had never become friends after the whole Steph sleeping with Becky's boyfriend thing, but they managed to have normal conversations every now and then.

Becky laughed as she glanced at Wilson and back at Steph and Tom, " Well, I suppose he's quite goodlooking, but I'm 6 months pregnant, so my judgement isn't what it once was. Everyone's starting to look pretty attractive to me. "

Tom rolled his eyes at his sister, " Darlin' that's too much information. " To Steph, he added, " and I think schoolgirl crushes are one of the perils of the job. "

Steph shrugged, " Still, I think there's going to be a few broken hearts in the 6th form today. I overheard some of the girls in one of my classes talking about it, and apparently, even Janeece has been attentive in lessons. "

" Really? " Becky asked, " Maxine reckons she's got some new boy on the go. "

" Oh dear," Steph said as she shook her head, " I don't think Janeece needs a relationship with an immature boy her own age. What she needs is an educational relationship with an older man, not some spotty teenage boy. "

Both Becky and Tom stared at Steph.

" You are joking? " Tom asked, as Becky tried to think about exactly how many things there were that was wrong with with Steph had just said.

" Yeah," Becky said, " to be honest Steph, I can't tell you exactly how many things are wrong with that, but I've got to say, if any educator tried an ... "educational relationship" ... with _my _teenager, I'd kill them, not to _mention _what Jack would do about it. "

Steph waved her hand, " Oh, I don't mean a teacher of course, because that would be an abuse of trust. Mind you, if they'd had that in _my _day, half the teachers in my school would be locked up. "

Tom chuckled in amusement and Becky smiled too, " Some of the teachers at my school too. "

" _Who_? " Tom asked, shaking his head at his little sister, " we went to the _same _school. "

Becky shrugged, " Yeah, but you left a few years before me. And in my final year ... well, we were all pretty sure that Sophie Shaw was sleeping with the geography teacher. "

Tom shook his head at the whole conversation.

Becky's first lesson was a very noisy year nine class, and by the time break time came around, she was very happy to get a bit of peace and quiet.

When she came in and sat down with Davina and Steph, pulling a magazine on to her knee, Tom came into the room a few moments later. He sat down opposite her, and Becky smiled, although she didn't look up.

" Listen," Tom started.

Becky looked up at the tone in his voice, " Ooh "listen"," she said, " that's the start of a serious conversation, if ever there was one. What's up? "

Tom sighed, " I've just seen our Chlo in the corridor, and she reckons Janeece is stalking Wilson? "

Becky shook her head, suprised, " Stalking? Seriously? "

Tom nodded solemnly, " Apparently she knows birthdays, where he lives. The lot. I think maybe someone should have a word with her, see if we can sort her out. "

Becky tried to think about it - she wasn't sure what she made of it. It wouldn't be unlike Janeece to have a crush on a teacher and if it was just a silly little crush, there wasn't anything to worry about.

Becky smiled, " "Someone" meaning me? "

Davina spoke up, " It could just be a harmless little crush. Some kind of school girl fantasy. "

This made sense to Becky - after all, she was a teenage girl as little as ten years ago and she knew what teenage girls thought like. Many of her friends, and she herself, had had crushes on their teachers back at school. For all they knew, this was just the same - a harmless little crush.

" Girls like older men," Steph agreed, " it's a fact. "

This definitley made sense to Becky - after all, Jack was 9 years older than her. " That's true," she nodded, " someone with a bit of authority. "

Tom sighed, " Again darlin', too much information. "

Becky giggled but then managed to compose herself, " I'll have a word Tom, don't worry. "

Tom nodded, " Better to be safe than sorry. "

Becky rolled her eyes, " Don't worry, I've got this. I'll have a word with _him _too, just to be sure. "

Staight after break, Becky decided to start out by tracking down Mr Bingham for a word. She went to the media classroom, which was only a few doors down from Tom's classroom, and she walked in to find he and Janeece in there alone.

When she walked in, they seemed to both take a big step apart, and they both looked ... embarrassed. Awkward. Becky couldn't believe it - there was definitley something off about all of this, and although she hadn't really thought there was anything going on until now, she now thought it could be something more than a harmless schoolgirl crush.

Mr Bingham cleared his throat quickly, " I was just giving Janeece a few tips on her coursework. "

Something about it didn't quite ring true and Becky raised her eyebrows, " Really? " she asked, " well, maybe you should be going to your next lesson, Janeece. I could do with a little word with Mr Bingham. "

Janeece seemed reluctant to leave and Becky was sure now that there was something wrong about it. She'd seen something in their eyes, and she had a bad feeling about it

" Mr Bingham," she said, folding her arms, " I think Janeece has got a crush on you. "

" Oh? " he asked, looking at her.

She nodded, " You'd be putting yourself in a much better position by staying away from her. You probably shouldn't be alone together. I don't think it's very ... well, it's not a good idea. "

He laughed, " You're accusing me of ... what exactly? "

Becky shook her head - he seemed very defensive despite his attempts to laugh it off, " Look, Janeece's friends have said she's been acting a bit differently recently, and it's much better if you stay away from her, because I don't think I liked what I saw just now when I came in. "

" I was helping a pupil," he said firmly, his voice sounding hard.

" Well, I'm just trying to make sure you protect yourself," Becky said with a smile on her face, as she tried to handle it carefully, " given I've just found you alone together, both looking shifty, looking like you've got something to hide, I would have thought you'd do whatever you could to make sure you protect yourself against any possible accusations that could rise up. "

" Why do we have to have this conversation? " he snapped, taking a step closer to her, " in about two hours, she's not going to be my pupil any more. "

Becky narrowed her eyes, not liking the sound of it, " That doesn't sound like a denial of these accusations to me. Maybe I should take this up with Rachel Mason. "

Wilson scoffed, " Your imagination is far too vivid, Miss Clarkson. "

Becky left the room, trying to put it all together, and she was too lost in her own thoughts to watch where she was going. She snapped out of her thoughts when she realised she'd almost just walked into her brother.

" Sorry," she mumbled.

Tom looked at her with concerned eyes, " I thought I ought to see how your conversation with Wilson went? " He glanced into his classroom, " I've got five minutes - they're looking for their homework, or more likely, trying to think of a decent excuse. Want to tell me how it went? "

They moved down the corridor a bit, and Becky recounted her conversation with Wilson to Tom.

" You accused him of having a thing with Janeee? " Tom asked, shaking his head, " you can't do that! Becky you'll get yourself into trouble, making those kind of accusations without any proof. "

" Tom, my instincts are usually pretty good," she told him, " I've just got a feeling. I'm telling you, there was something going on when I walked in there - they were embarrassed to be caught. "

" That's because it _is _embarrassing when the girls are fawning over you," Tom insisted, " I should know, I've been there before, remember? "

Becky sighed, " Tommy, I don't want to fall out, but I know something was off. I think I ... I might have caught them kissing, or something. "

" You saw them? "

" I just didn't like it," Becky told him, " it felt wrong, and I've got to talk to Janeece about it all. And when I told him he ought to stay away from Janeece, he got really defensive and he was quite snappy actually. "

" Snappy? " asked Tom.

" Look, I don't know," she sighed, " it just all felt wrong. _You _were the one who said it was better to be safe than sorry. I'll talk to Janeece. "

Tom nodded, " Just be careful," he said, " I don't want you getting yourself into trouble by making allegations you can't back up. "

When Becky found Janeece, the teenager was less than helpful.

Becky sighed, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere. She rest her hands on her hips as she looked at the girl, trying to figure out how she could get through to the girl. " All I'm saying is, you've got a little crush, and it's better if you stay away. "

" We've not done nothing," Janeece said.

Becky nodded, ignoring the double negative since she knew was Janeece was trying to say, " I'm just saying, you should stay away. "

" Why? "

" It's in your best interests," Becky said carefully, " I don't think I like the thought of you being alone with him, when you've got a crush on him, when for all I know, it's more than a crush. You're better off away from him. "

When the bell rang to signal the next lesson, Becky sighed, " Look Janeece, we've both got a lesson to go to, but this conversation isn't over. We're take this up later, so will you come to my office at lunch? "

Janeece grumbled a very reluctant agreement and left.

On the way back to her classroom, Becky saw Wilson coming the other way down the corridor. Just as she was about to go into her classroom, he crossed the corridor to get to her.

" Don't be worrying, Miss Clarkson," he said, " I've steered clear of Janeece. "

" Yeah, well make sure you continue to do so," Becky said.

Wilson suddenly looked annoyed and he took a step towards her, " Look lady, I don't know what your problem is but whatever you think you saw, it's pretty pathetic of you to - "

Becky saw a new side to him and shook her head, taking a step back, " Woah," she said, " if you're trying to intimidate me, it's not going to happen. If I didn't think you were up to no good in the first place, your defensive attitude definitley makes me think you are now. You'd better get to your classroom, hadn't you? "

He stalked off, and she sighed.

She gave her year eight class a test to do and at lunch time, she went to her office to wait for Janeece. She sat behind her desk and got a bit of paperwork done while she waited, but the longer she waited, the more worried she got.

By the end of lunch time, Janeece hadn't shown up, and when the bell rang for afternoon registration, Becky looked up when her office door opened.

" Oh Tom, it's just you," she mumbled.

" Thanks," he said, rolling his eyes, " did you get through to Janeece then? "

" She didn't show," answered Becky, " so I'm going to have to take this to Rachel. This is all getting too suspicious. "

" Janeece hasn't shown up? " Tom replied, " um, I don't want to worry you, but Wilson went home ill at lunch. "

" Ill? "

" Apparently. "

" We've got to find Janeece," Becky said, " I really don't like where this is going - there's something very wrong about this. "

Tom nodded, " Ok, I'll go find her friends and ask if they've seen her, you go start explaining things to Rachel. "

Becky went to the office, where she explained everything that had happened so far, to Rachel and Eddie. Becky was completely worried that something had happened to Janeece and she felt like they'd better hurry up and find her.

Rachel got Tom into the office too, so that everyone who knew about it was there, since if the situation they were facing was as serious as they thought it might be, they were going to need a lot of help.

" Tom," Rachel said, " can you make sure Mr Bingham's lessons are covered for the rest of the day, and can you find Jim Williams and get him to find cover for Becky's? Eddie, you try and call Wilson and I'll try Janeece's mother. "

Tom sighed, " Listen, on my way back here from asking Janeece's friends, I ran into Grantly. He's not best pleased because Wilson's overmarked some of the coursework. Apparently he's overmarked Janeece's by about three grades. "

Becky groaned, " Seriously? Well, there we have it then! He's been giving her good grades, giving her extra tips, does this sound like normal behaviour? We have to find Janeece. "

" Rebecca," Tom said as he looked at her, " you're not supposed to be getting stressed out. "

" Tom, Janeece could be in danger," she said.

Tom sighed, " Stress isn't good for the baby. Rebecca, will you _sit _down? "

" Tom, I'm trying to do my job here," she replied, " and my job is looking after the kids. "

Eddie put his phone down, after trying to call Wilson. " This number on Wilson's staff forms isn't recognised. We've now got no way of getting in touch with him. "

Rachel put the office phone down too, " Janeece's mother doesn't know anything. Eddie, can you get Wilson's details faxed over here immediately? See should see what else we can find. "

" Shouldn't we call the police? " Becky asked.

" I don't think they'll listen," Rachel sighed desperately, " she's a 17 year old girl who knows what she wants, and he's a guy who, what, in an hour doesn't work for us anymore? I don't know how interested they'll be. "

Becky nodded, " Right, I've got to go find Maxine and Chlo, see if Janeece has been in touch. "

She took the girls out of Matt's music lesson, and asked them both if they'd heard anything from Janeece. She told them she needed to know where Janeece was.

The girls didn't know anything, and as Becky started back towards the office, she saw Eddie, Rachel and Tom looking very worried.

" What? " Becky asked.

Eddie showed her his Bingham's details - which showed that he had been banned from teaching, yet somehow he'd managed to fall through the gaps and he'd turned up in the school.

Something here was very wrong.

The four teachers sat down and tried to think about what they could possibly do from here. It was the end of the day before they knew it, and they were no better off.

Becky sighed as she tried to think about where they could go from here, and her phone rang.

She snatched it up, and Tom, Eddie and Rachel watched her carefully.

" Maxine? Hey, have you heard anything? "

" Becky, she's just called," Maxine said quickly, " she's in a hotel in Manchester! She's really upset, she says he's left her, and she's scared! "

" Woah, woah, slow down, it's ok, we'll get to her," Becky promised, taking a pen from Tom and grabbing a bit of paper, " did she tell you the name of the hotel? A room number - anything? "

Janeece had Maxine exactly where she was, and Becky wrote it all down, thanked Maxine and hung up.

" Here," Becky said, tapping the piece of paper with the pen, " that's where she is. "

" Right," Rachel said, " Eddie and I will stay here, Tom, Becky, do you want to go with the police to bring Janeece home? They're waiting in the car park. "

Tom looked at Becky, " I'm not sure if you're in any condition to go hunting down suspected paedophiles. "

Becky shook her head, " Don't argue with me, Tom. I'm pregnant, I'm not ill. This is pastoral care, so I'm in. Let's go. "

Tom sighed, " But - "

Becky interrupted, " Tom, as the practical parents of teenage girls ourselves, you and I both know that we have to protect our girls. What if it was one of _our _girls? Come on, we're wasting time here. "

Tom and Becky followed the police in Tom's car, desperate to get to Janeece.

Becky was so worried that Janeece had been groomed by this man, and that he could have forced her into something. Becky was so panicked that something bad had happened to Janeece that could have been prevented if they'd done something differently.

She kept picturing the worst - all those stories she'd seen on the news or in newspapers, about teachers who'd groomed girls, or sometimes boys, and all the times she'd thought it was horrific.

When they got to the hotel, they rushed up to Janeece's room and hammered on the door.

" What? " Janeece's voice came, sounding like she was crying.

Becky edged forwards, " Janeece, come on, open up sweetie," she said, " it's Miss Clarkson. There's just some police here who want to help you, and me and Mr Clarkson. Will you please let us in? "

" I can't," Janeece sniffed.

" Come on, sweetie, we're worried about you," Becky said, " let us come in, we've got to help you. "

There was a silence, and then the door swung open. Janeece was stood there in a big fluffy white hotel dressing gown, her hair a mess and her make up streaked all down her face from where she'd so obviously been crying.

Becky shook her head, " Oh Janeece, everything's alright now, darling. Come, it's all going to be ok. "

When they got in, the police looked around the room, trying to find some kind of sign as to Bingham's real identity. He'd lied about his name - he wasn't who he said he was at all.

Janeece was sobbing to herself, and Becky went over to her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

Becky tried to comfort her, while Tom stood there, staring out of the window, looking horrified by the situation. Janeece continued to sob and Becky tried to comfort her and look after her.

" I'm so humiliated," Janeece sobbed, " he's been saying he likes me for weeks, and then after we'd ... after we'd had sex ... he just left. Just ran off. He said he loved me. "

Becky held onto her and let her cry, " Sometimes people say they love us when they don't," she said, " but none of this was your fault. He tricked you, and it's not down to you. "

" Does everyone know? "

" Only Maxine and Chlo, and they don't even know any details," Becky assured her, " they're just worried about you, but you're going to come back with us, and they'll be glad to see you're alright. "

The police officer came to sit down next to Janeece, and started to ask her questions, and Becky stood up from the bed they'd been sitting on. She went to stand beside Tom, and he could see how worried she was about it all.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her close to him, " You alright? "

She nodded, " Just can't believe it all. "

" Is Janeece alright? "

" She will be," Becky replied, leaning into her brother's touch, " she's just shaken up, but she's going to be fine. He didn't hurt her. Well, you know, not physically at least. "

Tom sighed, " If I get my hands on him ... how can anyone do this to a teenage girl? It's just ...sick. "

Becky sighed, " I know. God, it's all so ... horrible. How can ... how can ... "

" I know," he mumbled, squeezing her arm.

The police officer interrupted their conversation by coming over and cleared his throat loudly. " Janeece says she saw a parking permit for a caravan park in his car. It's about half a hour from here, so I reckon we should do there. We might need you two to positiviely identify him. "

" He'll go down for this, won't he? " asked Becky desperately, sub-concsiously resting a hand on her bump. The thought that she was bringing a child into a world filled with people like this, terrified her. The thought that something could happen to her own little baby was too much to handle.

" We could do him for abuse of trust," the police officer nodded, " although of course he'll say they had sex _after _he'd left the school. We should definitley be able to nail him for I.D fraud though. "

" I can't go," Janeece sniffed, wiping at her eyes, " my mum's going to kill me - I can't face her. "

" We could drop you off at ours? " Tom suggested, " Maxine and Chlo are going to be there and they'd love to see you. They're just going to be glad you're alright. "

Janeece nodded and as they left the hotel room, both Tom and Becky wrapped an arm around her to try and look after her.

Janeece got dropped off at Tom's place, and then they drove to the caravan park.

The place looked very normal, and it occured to Becky that evil lie even in places that looked so safe and normal. The police men tried to barge open the dor, but it was locked.

" Right," the police officer said, " he's not here, so we'll send someone around in the morning. "

Becky stared, " You're not going to do anything else about it? "

" There's really nothing else you can do? " Tom demanded.

The police officer shrugged, " I'll go to the reception and ask them if they've seen him, or heard anything from him. "

When the police officer had left, Tom immediately started back towards the door, " We can't let him get away with this," he said, " come on, let's look inside. "

" Tom," she sighed, " I ... I don't really know about this. "

" Becks, we can't let him get away with it," he said, " you said it yourself - we've both got teenage daughters, just like Janeece. What if it had been one of them? We have to make sure this bastard goes down for it. "

Becky knew he was right and she wanted him to go down for it as much as Tom did, and she followed him to the front door. It was locked, and as Tom started to look around for a spare key, Becky had a sudden thought.

She bent down to lift up the small plant pot sitting by the doorstep, and pulled out a key from under it.

" Tommy," she said with a triumphant smile, holding up the key.

Tom nodded. Both siblings thought about the fact that it was just like when they'd been kids, living at home with their parents. Between the pair of them and Ian, someone was always locked out, so their mother had eventually put a spare key under the plantpot in the back garden.

Tom used the key to let them in, and once they got inside, the place was quiet.

Tom walked on ahead, keeping an arm behind him to keep Becky some distance behind him, as a means of protection. Wilson wasn't here, and Becky didn't like the place.

It had a really creepy feel to it, and when she looked around, her eyes met with a picture of Janeece. It was a collage of pictures of Janeece, and as they looked around, there were more and more pictures of teenage girls on the wall.

She stared in horror and felt her stomach churn when she realised there were many pictures of Maxine.

She turned around and she gripped Tom's arm when she saw the many pictures of Chlo too.

" Tom," she whispered.

He turned around to see all the pictures, and Becky stood rooted to the spot as Tom shook his head and moved around the caravan, looking for something else - seeing what else was in here.

" Tom, please can we leave? " Becky asked, shaking her head, " this place is really creepy. "

" Get out," Tom told her, " this isn't any sort of place for you to be. Get out. "

In a moment of silence, Becky heard a noise coming from the kitchen and through the crack in the door, saw Wilson trying to get away. Tom hurried for the kitchen, and Becky stayed rooted to the spot in shock, until she heard all the noise coming from the kitchen.

If Tom was going to attack Wison, she didn't have a problem with it, if it meant making sure Wilson didn't get away with it, but she knew she couldn't risk getting caught in the middle of the fight in the small caravan. She wouldn't risk any harm coming to her baby, and she hurried out of the front door of the caravan.

Moments later, she watched Wilson run out of the back door, with Tom in close pursuit. Tom managed to get hold of him and throw him on the floor, and Becky watched in shock as Tom kicked him, hard, and swore at him.

The police's attentions had been caught by all of this, and when Wilson tried to run off, between Tom and the police, they managed to catch hold of him.

As Tom and Becky watched the police arrest him, Tom touched Becky's arm softly.

" Come on," he said, " for Christ's Sake, let's get out of here. I think we've had enough of all of this today. "

Becky nodded and sighed heavily, " What if it had been Maxine? "

" We can't think like that," Tom said, " they've caught him now. I know how horrible it feels, because it could have been one of my girls too, but at least he won't be harming anyone else. "

Becky nodded silently.

The police officer came over and told them that they'd found ID for the man, and it turned out he had a strong of offences - fraud, theft and assault, both physical and sexual.

Tom drove the pair of them back to his house, and once they got there, Becky pushed open the living room door to see Janeece curled up on the sofa, Chlo and Maxine on either side of her.

" Janeece, sweetie, are you alright? " she asked.

Janeece nodded, " Did they get him? "

" He won't be breathing fresh air for a very long time," Tom added, standing behind Becky.

Chlo cleared her throat, " Tom, we thought maybe we could have a sleepover tonight? "

" Course," Tom nodded.

" We're just glad you're alright," Becky told Janeece, before she and Tom went into the kitchen. Tom put the kettle on, and Becky sat down at the table, trying to forget everything that had happened.

Tom reached out for her hand and pulled her into the big hug he knew she needed, and she closed her eyes and tried to forget about it all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm now trying to work towards some kind of reunion for Jack and Becky, and I'm trying to think of a name for their son - any suggestions are welcome. <strong>

**Also I'm trying to decide what to do with Jack when I write up ny next story, which will follow series 4 of waterloo road - that is if anyone would like to read another story. I'm considering Jack moving back to Waterloo Road as a regular history teacher and maybe getting the head's job back at some point later on, or having him work at a different school nearby as a head. Let me know if you've got any ideas.**


	24. Baby Plans

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty Four

" So, what're you going to see? "

Becky sat at the kitchen table, a mug of tea in front of her on the table, and a piece of toast in her hand. In her other hand, she held the plate for the toast, which was half resting on her stomach. It was saturday, and there was nothing she loved more than relaxing on a saturday.

Maxine was sitting opposite her, with a copy of OK! Magazine open on the table in front of her, and a bowl of cereal also sitting there.

" I don't know," Maxine shrugged, thinking about the trip to the cinema she and Janeece were going on that day, " just ... whatever's on. "

Becky nodded, " You going for something to eat afterwards? "

" Oh yeah," Maxine nodded, " last time we went to pizza hut, there was this well fit waiter, so I think we're going there. "

Becky smiled a little, " Do you need a lift there? "

" Janeece's mum said she'd take us," Maxine replied, " they're going to pick me up on the way in about ... well, ten minutes, I think. "

Becky nodded and as she got up and went over to the sink, Maxine asked, " When's Jack getting here? "

Becky glanced at the clock that hung on the kitchen call, " In about ... half an hour, I think. "

It was only 9AM but Becky and Jack had agreed that they had to spend all day on getting this room right.

Maxine raised her eyebrows, " He's just coming to help you decorate the nursery, then? "

Becky nodded, sitting back down and picking up her mug of tea, " Yeah," she said, " since you and me got all the clutter out of there, it just needs decorating now. Jack's going to help me sort it all out. Reckons he's got loads of ideas about the painting, and I really need him to get the furniture up. "

" Becky," Maxine started, " do you think ... do you think you and Jack could ever get back together? "

Becky sighed, " Sweetie, you'd better not be trying to matchmake. Jack and I have split up. "

" I know," she sighed, " but why can't you get back together? He clearly still cares about you. "

" He's doing this for the baby," Becky said, resting her hand on her stomach, " it's not about me, it's about our little boy. "

Maxine scoffed, " You two are _so _blind. He wouldn't offer to come and spend the weekend helping you pait the bedroom, if he didn't care about you. If he hated you, he wouldn't care _how _the room looked. He wouldn't ring up every couple of days to ask how you are, and his mother wouldn't bake you all those apple pies and send them over with me every time I've spent the weekend with him. Jack cares. "

Becky sighed, " Well, fine. We might care about each other but ... well, we're not_ in love _or anything. That's ... that's ridiculous. "

Maxine thought it wasn't really ridiculous, and she wanted nothing more than for her foster parents who'd always been so perfect for each other, to get back together.

Maxine left the house shortly afterwards, and not long after that, there was a knock at the door.

Becky smiled as she went to the door, and she opened it for Jack. Jack had a big silly smile on his face, and he walked into the house with a tin of paint in each hand.

He put them down at the bottom of the stairs.

" Hey Becky," he said with a smile, before going back outside again. Becky folded her arms and leant against the hallway wall, watching as Jack went in and out of the house, bringing in tins of paint paintbrushes and tools.

"Well," she said, when he'd stopped and closed the front door after himself, " turned into a handyman, have you? "

" Hey," he said with a smile, " I just want everything to be perfect. "

He turned away from the paint and the tools, and set his eyes on his pregnant ex for the first time that day, properly. She was wearing a pair of dark green pants that were three quarter length, and a loose fitting white shirt - the kind of clothes you wouldn't mind getting messed up whe painting. Her wavy dark hair was tied up in a loose bun, with bits hanging around her face.

" You look great," he told her.

She laughed out loud, " You are such a liar, Jack Rimmer. "

" I'm serious! " he insisted, taking a step towards her, " ok, so maybe you don't look great in any kind of conventional way, but look at you - you're ... blooming. You look incredible. "

She laughed, " You don't have to tell me those kind of lies. "

He laughed. He moved forwards and reaching out with both of his hands to her. He took hold of her hands in his and smiled, " You look incredible. You've gotten so much bigger since last time I saw you. "

She sighed, " I feel huge. "

He shook his head, " You're 6 months pregnant. You're _going _to look a bit bigger than you would otherwise. Is the baby kicking? "

" Oh! " Becky said quickly, " of course, you haven't felt him yet! " She squeezed his hands, which he still had hold of, and said, " wait until you feel it, it really is amazing. "

" Is he kicking now? " Jack asked eagerly.

" No," she admitted, quite liking the enthusiasm he had, since it was so cute, and loving exactly how into beig a dad he was, " but sometimes he just needs a little encouragement. "

Jack grinned, " He does? Can I ... can I ... "

He was so excited that he couldn't ge the words out, and she smiled. Sometimes when they were together, she was so happy about having Jack around. Sometimes when he was here, she managed to forget the fact that she and Jack weren't together, and the fact that she'd be on her own most of the time when she was raising the baby.

She nodded and Jack put both of his hands on her stomach. At first nothing happened, and then Jack cleared his throat, " Hey baby," he said, making Becky smile. Jack frowned and looked at her, " what are you laughing about? "

" Nothing," Becky said quickly.

" Rebecca," he said, narrowing his eyes.

She laughed, " Nothing, I think it's sweet. It's just ... well, if the people at school could see you now ... "

He ignored her, " Hey baby," he said, rubbing her bump softly, " this is your daddy here. I'm your daddy. "

Becky squealed as the baby kicked. The look of shock on Jack's face was soon replaced with a big wide grin, and he smiled, " Well, look at that - baby knows who his daddy is. "

" Course he does," Becky said with a smile, " he was saying hello to his daddy, weren't you baby? "

Jack laughed and he reached out and pulled Becky into a hug. She smiled as they embraced, and his hugs were so warm and affectionate. Between them, the baby kicked again, and Jack laughed,

" Does he kick a lot? "

Becky nodded, " All the time recently," she answered, " I'm starting to believe Tom's constant proclaimations that he's going to be a footballer. "

They went upstairs, and after a discussion about the room during which Jack threw his ideas at Becky, they finally agreed on a pirate theme.

Jack had been quite passionate about art while he was in high school and college and had been quite good. He'd eventually realised history was his passion and gone on to study it at university, but his flair for art had always been there.

The whole mural on the school staircase had been his own work, painted in the sumer after Izzie's death when he had a lot on his mind, and it had helped take the edge off.

Jack threw a paintbrush to Becky, and she caught it deftly.

" Right," he said, looking around the room, which was empty other than the boxes laying in the middle of the room, " do you want to go and paint that wall blue? "

Becky smiled, her fingers closing around the paintbrush, " You mean I should paint the walls that are going to be plain, and let you do the fancy bits? "

" Rebecca, I've seen your attempt at artwork, and it's terrible," Jack told her, " I'll do the fancy bits. I think painting that wall blue is going to be enough of a challenge for you. "

She rolled her eyes and went over to the other wall.

She and Jack started painting the walls, and they made polite general conversation as they painted. After a while, they were relaxed into comfortable conversation, and Becky told him all about things that had been happening at the school.

" So what about you? " she asked, dipping her paintbrush into the pot of blue paint as she started on a second wall, " how's the job huting going - have you found something yet? For when you move back here, I mean? "

He sighed.

Becky frowned, " Jack, you're going to have to find something aren't you? I'm having this baby in three months time, and when I do, I thought you wanted to be living nearby. You made a whole big thing about how you want to be nearby, and to be a big part of this baby's life, and you can't do that if you don't have a job here. "

" Relax," he said, " I'm searching. "

" Oh," she said, biting her lip, " sorry. Any luck? "

" I've looked at a few things," he told her, " not many headships going. Still, the supply agencies are always signing up and I did see something that might be good. It's still all in the pipeline. "

Becky nodded.

" Jim's starting to get worried about getting new staff for the humanities department too," she said, referring to the head of history and geography at the school, " looks like one of our history teachers in jumping ship at the end of the year. "

" Oh? " Jack asked.

" Yep," Becky said, " going to teach at some big posh all girls school apparently, so Jim's getting stressed about covering my maternity leave at the end of this school year and the beginning of next, and getting a good new teacher in for september. "

Jack didn't reply, and Becky turned around to see the walls coming on nicely.

" Oh my God, you're amazing," she said, shaking her head as she saw the parrot painted on one wall, and nearby, a little desert island with a palm tree. There was a sword sticking up out of the sand.

Jack grinned, " Doesn't it look great? I'm going to do a map over there, with a big red cross on it, and a little ship in the distance with black sails. "

" Oh honey, you missed your calling in life," she said, shaking her head.

Jack tried to ignore the way his heart leapt when she called him "honey" even though he knew she'd probably said it without realising. He tried to ignore what the jolt inside him could mean.

Becky stretched her arms out above her head, " I could do with a sit down," she said, " d'you want a cuppa? "

" I'm fine," he said, " I really want to get on with this. "

Becky went downstairs, sat at the table and put her feet up with a drink. By the time she felt like going back upstairs to do some more painting, she realised they'd been at the painting for hours, and by the time she went back into the room, it was all painted.

It would no doubt all need a second coat, but it would be much easier to go over everything, than it had been to do it in the first place.

" Jack," she said, leaning against the doorway, " this looks amazing. "

He turned around to face her, and she had to laugh at the sight of him, his white t-shirt covered in bits of paint, and his arms dotted with bits of paint too. He'd even managed to get a splodge of yellow paint on one cheek too.

" D'you think it's good enough for our little boy? "

" Absolutely," she said.

" Good," he replied, reaching for one of the cardboard boxes, " now, should I start putting this cot up? "

" Well, someone's got to do it," she said.

As Jack started to open the box, Becky slowly got on her knees, and then sat down. She leaned back, and rested her back against chest of drawers Tom had given her for the bedroom, watching Jack get all the pieces out of the box.

Jack looked over at her in time to see her bringing her hands to rest on her bump, and he couldn't help but think that she looked so perfect. They were both here together, she was pregnant with his child, and they were decorating a nursery together. The only problem with it, was that they weren't together.

Everytime he saw her he started to think that they could be so perfect together if they gave it another go, but he wasn't sure that she'd ever take him back, after he cheated on her. And he couldn't decide if he really had feeligs for her, or if it was because he was seeing her carry a child he knew was his. And if they messed it up, they had kids to think about too. They couldn't risk causing upset to Maxine and their new baby boy.

" You're staring at me," she mumbled, and Jack shook his head as he realised she was right.

" Sorry," he smiled, kneeling down on the floor as he started to look at all of the pieces, " just thinking about the baby. "

She nodded, since she'd assumed as much. She watched him frown and try to figure out where to start, and she rolled her eyes. " Jack, you could try starting with the instructions. "

" I could," he nodded, " but I'll probably stare at it all and figure out what's going on without the instructions. "

" Well don't," Becky told him, " my baby is going to be sleeping in this thing, so it has to be put up _properly _doesn't it? "

Jack sighed, " You win," he said, reaching for the instructions.

While she watched him put the cot together, Becky thought about how handsome he actually looked. And he was so sweet and attentive.

She wondered how things had gone so wrong - even though she knew how they went wrong. She wished it had all never happened. She thought about the fact that if it had not happened, they'd be a perfectly happy family now. And she'd be raising this baby with a husband by her side.

She wondered why her heart raced every time Jack gave her a smile, why her skin tingled every time his skin touched hers, and why her heart leapt every time she thought about how they used to be.

She knew why, if she was honest with herself. It was because she'd fallen for him again.

" I've been thinking about names," Jack said, cutting through her thoughts.

" You have? " Becky asked, " that's a good point. I've been thinking about names too, and we really should start trying to find something we can agree on. Did you have anything in particular in mind? "

" I like Steven," he shrugged.

" Steven? " she repeated, frowning, " I don't like it. "

" Why not? " he asked curiously.

She shook her head, " It ... well, it reminds me too much of Stephanie. "

" Oh," Jack frowned, before he realised exactly what that meant for them, and flushed, " Oh! "

She decided not to dwell on it, " I like Josh. Joshua. "

" No," he said, almost at once, " I've got a cousin Josh, who I hate. "

" Oh," she sighed, " I liked Josh. Well, what about ... Harry? "

" As in Harry Potter? " Jack laughed, " I'm not too sure about it. "

She pouted, " But I _liked _Harry. Have you got any other ideas? "

" Max," Jack returned.

" That's a dog's name," Becky said, shaking her head, " and anyway, I had an ex named Max. I like Sam. "

" A Sam once stole a girlfriend from me," Jack said.

Becky groaned in frustration, " Fine. I have two proper _proper _favourites, but I was saving them until last. I thought maybe the longer we went on, the more prone you might be to giving in. "

Jack laughed too, " Let's hear them then. You've obviously been giving it a lot of thought. "

" Well of course I have," she said, " this is my baby's name. We have to find a really great name for this baby - we've got to give this baby a really good name, because he's got this name for the rest of his life. My top choices were Dylan and James. "

Jack looked up from building the cot in suprise, " Really? James was one I've been thinking about too. I didn't like it as much as I liked Max, but - "

" Max is absolutely off the cards," Becky said.

" Well, James was up there on my list," he told her, " and now you mention it, I quite like Dylan. I liked Chris too. "

" Chris," she said with a nod, " that's not too bad. Any other suggestions? "

He thought about it for a moment, " I can't think of anything else that really stood out to me. James though ... James sounds really good. And Dylan too ... I don't know which one sound better though. "

" We could always choose later," Becky said, " maybe we could choose when we see him. "

" James Clarkson," Jack said, testing it out, " Dylan Clarkson. Both sound ok to me. "

Becky shook her head, " They won't be the names," she said.

" But _you _suggested them both," he sighed.

She laughed at the annoyed look on his face, " I _meant _I was thinking about giving the baby both of our names. You know, double-barrelling it. Or maybe just your name? "

" Seriously? " he asked, looking up at her, " you want to do that? "

" What do you think? "

He smiled, " I just assumed you'd give the baby your name, but ... well, of course I want to have my child carrying my name. Maybe Clarkson-Rimmer, then? "

" I like the sound of that," she agreed.

They chatted away while Jack put up the cot, and by the time they decided to call it a day, they'd been at it for hours, and it was well into the afternoon.

They went into the living room and both sat down on the sofa, a cup of tea in their hands, and the tv on in the background.

" I think we've done a pretty good job," Jack said.

Becky grinned, " I'd say so too. " She lifted up the mug, " to us? "

Jack matched her grin and touched his mug to hers, " To us. "

Becky leant back against the sofa, contented, and rested her hand on her bump, " Well, baby, your bedroom is painted. Or mostly anyway - only got to go over it. Daddy's done a good job. "

Jack laughed at the way she looked down at her bump and rubbed it afectionately, " Well, Mummy helped. "

Becky smiled, " Um, you know Jack, I've got ante-natal classes starting on friday, and I've got to go, so that I'll know what's going on when I give birth. And if you're going to be at the birth - "

" I'll be there," he said.

Becky nodded and swallowed hard.

" What's wrong? " Jack asked, noticing the worried look that crossed her face.

She shook her head and frowned. Jack sensed that she needed a minute, and after a few moments, she looked at him, her face full of worry.

" Jack, I'm scared," she said, " I'm scared about the whole ... childbirth thing. "

" You mean having a baby? " he corrected, a smile playing on his lips.

" Don't laugh about it, it's not funny," she told him firmly, " you read stories and see stuff on the tv about it going wrong, don't you? What if it happens to me? Jack, what if things go wrong, or ... or ... oh God, I know loads of women give birth every day, but I'm so scared. "

" Well," Jack said softly, turning to look at her, as she turned to look at him too, " I'm going to be there the entire time, aren't I? "

" You'd better be," she said seriously.

He smiled, " Rebecca, love, don't worry. I'm going to be there the entire time, encouraging you, holding your hand every step of the way. You're going to be able to do this, and I'm going to be by your side all the time. "

" You promise me it's going to be ok? " she asked, feeling completely vulnerable and scared about everything as she looked at him.

He nodded, " Everything's going to be ok. In a few months from now, you're going to have given birth to a beautiful baby boy, and you're going to have forgotten that we ever had this conversation. You're going to be an amazing mum, so don't worry. "

She smiled, " Thanks, Jack. Although I'm sure I'll find something else to worry about. "

They were in silence for a few moments, and Becky felt completely comfortable. After spending all day with Jack, she just felt like things were like they always had been, and she wished everything had worked out differently.

On the music channel in front of them, the tv said, " Next up on 4Music, the 20 Greatest Love Songs Ever. "

Becky groaned, " See, that's another thing I've got to worry about. "

Jack looked confused, " What? "

Becky wasn't quite sure if she should be telling him this, but she decided if she was 6 months pregnant with his child, there really wasn't much she shouldn't be able to say to him.

" Just ignore me," she said, " I'm feeling sorry for myself. "

" Really? " Jack asked as he looked at her, " oh, don't be silly. "

She shrugged, pausing before she met his eyes. She felt like she could tell him everything - he was so good to her, despite the fact that he really had no obligation to, since they weren't together. Even though she was carrying his child, he didn't have to be so sweet and attentive.

" I feel like my life's never going to be the same again," she sighed, " and not neccessarily in a good way. Look at me, Jack - I'm as big as the house, and I'm completely unattractive. And for the next 18 years, I'm going to be raising a child. Not that I don't want the baby, of course, but I'm not going to have a love life for a _long _time. And in fact, by the time this little one is grown up, I'll be almost 50. Who's going to want me _then? "_

Jack was completely suprised by her. She looked genuinely scared and quite vulnerable and he knew it was his job to make her feel better about herself.

" You're talking crazy," he said.

She shook her head, " I just keep thinking about what could happen to my life. I've hardly had much luck so far in love, and I can't see any man wanting to be saddled with a teenage girl and some other guy's baby. No-one's going to want to be with me when I'm like that. So I'm going to have to be alone for at least a few years. For a very long time, I imagine. "

" Right," Jack said, turning to face her a little and reaching out to take hold of one of her hands, " listen to me. " firstly, you are _not _unattractive. Pregnancy agrees with you, and you're radiant. "

She looked at him and she felt so grateful for him being so nice to her, and trying to squash her fears.

She couldn't help but instantly think of all the times when they'd been together, that he'd told her she was beautiful, and swept her up in his arms and kissed her. All the times they'd curled up together on the sofa as a happy couple. Even the times they'd spoken about having a baby.

" Secondly," Jack added, " any man who doesn't want you, is a fool. There's going to be plenty of guys out there who are going to want to snap you up at the first opportunity they get. "

" I don't know," she sighed.

Jack squeezed her hand, looking directly into her bright blue eyes, " Just because you're single right now, doesn't mean you're going to be single for long. You've got plenty to look forward to into your life. "

Becky looked up at him, and she sighed, " You're such a nice guy. "

He shrugged, " Sometimes. "

She smiled, " I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to make me feel better about myself. "

" Well," Jack replied, trying to shrug it off, " you're carrying my child - I think I've got to make you feel better about yourself. And since I'm going to be at the birth, I thought I ought to be really nice to you, considering I'm going to be holding your hand for the whole thing. "

Becky laughed, " What, you think I'll break your fingers if you haven't been nice to me? "

Jack shrugged, and Becky felt a sudden rush of graditute towards him for being so sweet to her and for making her feel better about herself.

She leaned over and easily closed the small distance between them. She pressed her lips to his cheek and they lingered there for a few moments longer than was strictly neccessary.

" What was that for? " Jack asked, wearing a big smile.

Becky pulled away, thinking that she really ought to have not done that. It caused a rush of something warm and fuzzy to flood through her, and she realised quite quickly that she was head over heels for him.

She knew this was dangerous, and she could only end up hurting herself, but she hadn't been able to resist.

" It was a thank you," she told him.

" Well, it was very nice, as thanks yous go," Jack told her, a cheeky smile spreading across his face.

" Well, you were being very nice to me," she replied.

Maxine came home a couple of moments later, and she was very pleased to see her dad. Jack had a big hug for her, like he always did, and Maxine sat down and told them all about her trip to the cinema and pizza hut with Janeece.

Jack stayed for a while longer, to talk with Maxine about all sorts, but eventually decided he'd have to leave.

" Thank you for everything," Becky said, " the room looks amazing, and I couldn't have done it by myself. "

Jack smiled, " You're welcome. Only the very best for James, I suppose. Or for Dylan. " As he stood up, he said, " you know, I'm thinking James is starting to sound really good. "

" Me too," Becky said.

" Do you want me to come back tomorrow and help you give it a second coat? " he asked.

Becky pulled a face, " Honey, I'm sure I can manage painting over it all, now you've done the difficult part. Maxine's going to give me a bit of a hand, anyway. But I'll see you on friday for ante-natal class? I'll text you the time, because I can't remember it. "

Jack nodded. He hugged Maxine and said he'd see her at the weekend - since next weekend would be his weekend with her - before turning to Becky.

" Don't get up on my account," he said, when she extended her hand to him, for him to pull her up, " I'll let myself out. "

" Oh bless you," she sighed with a smile, " see you soon, Jack. "

Jack smiled, " Take care of yourself, love," he said, leaning down and planting a kiss on her cheek, before resting his hand on her belly, " bye bye baby. Be good for Mummy. "

The baby kicked at that moment, and Jack laughed in delight.

" See you soon Becky," he said, before he left the room.


	25. Green

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty-Five

Several weeks later, a very pregnant Becky walked into the school.

Now 33 weeks pregnant, she'd bought everything she thought she'd need for the baby, the baby's room was completely decorated and finished, and she was enjoying her last few weeks before the baby came.

Jack had found a nearby flat, and was in the process of signing the documents for it. He was planning on moving in, in three weeks time.

At 33 weeks pregnant, mother-hood was growing closer and closer and she was desperately trying to read as many books as possible, in the hopes that she'd know everything when the baby came, despite Tom telling her numerous times that she'd learn along the way.

Her maternity leave had all been sorted out - she would leave in two weeks time, and return to school after the October half term, at which point her baby would be a few months old.

She'd considered taking more time off but knew she'd get bored of being at home all the time, and since the school was opening a creche in September, the ideal solution was to put her baby in the school's creche.

She'd decided that she didn't want the pastoral care job back when she returned to the school. She loved the role but it was very demanding and required her to spend time after school in her office with the paperwork, and often take a lot of it home.

She knew when she had her baby, she wanted to be able to give him her full attention after work, and now be snowed under by paperwork.

Rachel had agreed that Becky would come back into the school for a few days in the autumn term to keep in touch, and to help the new head of pastoral care make the transition - it was looking more and more likely that the new head of pastoral care would be her brother too.

Rachel had scheduled a girls football match and a spelling competition with the a local school, on the last day of Becky's time at the school before her maternity leave, and she was looking forward to seeing Maxine shine in the football team.

As she walked across the car park, she saw Tom getting out of his car. He slammed the door behind him, and both of the girls got out of the car and walked off without saying a word to him.

Tom spotted her coming towards him and he smiled.

" Hey Becks," he said with a smile as they started to walk in.

Becky smiled at him in return as she looked around, glancing at all the construction work that Stuart Hordley's firm had started in the fields, " You alright? " she asked him.

He sighed as they started to talk into the school, " Yeah, I guess. Just the girls giving me hell. "

" Really? What have they been doing? " she asked.

Tom shook his head, " Chlo keeps going on about some job she wants to take in the hairdressers in town, but I don't know how it's going to affect her studies. Then Mika's banging on about this green demonstration in London. "

" Oh Tom, they're just teenage girls," she said, " they're going to be passionate about _something. _"

" Yeah, well I don't know what to tell them," he said, " well, Mika really. Should I let her go to this demonstration in London? It's some save the trees thing - this guy she met on the internet. Who I don't know. "

" Well," Becky started, " I'd say you ought to trust your instincts. What _are _they? "

" I'm thinking no," said Tom.

Becky nodded, " Right. I can see exactly why you'd thinking that. Given that she's going with people you don't know, I can see exactly why you'd say no, and I wouldn't blame you. But I _would _tell Mika gently. "

" Gently? " he asked.

She nodded, " Yeah. The thing is, like I said, she's passionate about her beliefs, and she needs to know that you don't think of her as some silly kid. She probably just wants to be respected and heard. "

" Then, should I let her go? " asked Tom.

" Look, it's your decision," Becky said, patting his arm as they stopped just inside the school, " just tell her gently, because she might get angry otherwise. I can see why you're concerned though - as the parent of a teenage girl, I would be too. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now, I have to go to a senior management meting. "

She and Tom went their seperate ways, and Becky went through to Rachel's office and sat down in a chair once she was there, while Rachel sat in her own desk chair.

" Not like Eddie to be late," Becky said five minutes later, when she looked at the clock and realised that Eddie was behind.

" Probably just stuck in traffic," Rachel said, " I'd give you a drink, but ... "

She nodded, " I know, but you've only got coffee. "

Rachel smiled, " How does it feel to know you're going to actually be a mother? "

Becky sighed, " It feels ... odd. I mean, I've got Maxine, but she was 16 when we took her in, so although Jack and I had a lot of support to give to her, she's never really fully depended on us. But this ... well, a baby's going to depend on my every single moment of the day. It's scary but ... well, it's exciting. "

Rachel smiled, " Have you got a name for him? "

" We're not fully sure," she said, " but we're torn between James and Dylan. We thought we'd see what he looks like before we make the decision. "

Rachel had a strange look on her face, and Becky frowned, " What? "

Rachel shook her head, " It's nothing. It's just ... well, to listen to you, anyone would think you and Jack are still very much a couple. The way you talk about him - well, it's clear that you're getting on well. "

Becky smiled, " Well, we're having a baby together, so we've got to get on. "

Rachel smiled, " Still, it's nice that you can get on so well. Most couples who are split up but having a child together ... well, I can't imagine everyone would handle it as well as you two seem to be. "

Becky didn't have to reply, because the door opened, and Eddie strode in.

" Nice of you to make it," Rachel said.

" Sorry I'm late," Eddie mumbled.

Becky shrugged, " That's alright. We were just having a little chat. "

Eddie nodded, " Have you told anyone I'm going? "

Becky stared at Eddie, " You're leaving? You ... you're leaving? How come? "

She noticed a look pass between Rachel and Eddie, and wondered what was going on - there was something going on that she didn't know about. Maybe they'd fallen out, she thought.

Eddie looked back at her, " Lots of reasons," he said simply.

Rachel, " Don't suppose you could keep it quiet, Becky? We haven't told anyone else yet. "

Becky nodded silently, and Rachel turned to Eddie, " I've been writing up the job description so I can advertise for a new deputy. Really made me think about the role, actually. "

Becky picked up on the tone in Rachel's voice, and thought that she was up to something. Probably trying to talk Eddie out of it, she thought.

" Are they parachuting someone new in? " Eddie asked, " or do you think there's any internal candidates? "

Rachel shrugged, " Well, I don't know about internal candidates. I don't really know if there is anyone. " She gestured at Becky, " maybe Rebecca might be in with a shot if she wasn't going on maternity leave, and given you don't want to pastoral care job back, Becky, I just assume that - "

Becky nodded, " Absolutely. It'd be far too much work for me to take on with a new baby. I might be a little young for a deputy role anyway. "

Rachel smiled at the younger woman, " Well, age is just a number isn't it? Anyway, you've got the rest of your career for a deputy role - you haven't been a teacher ten years yet and you're on management. And no, Eddie, I want new blood, I think. "

Eddie nodded, " I was thinking, Tom Clarkson always does a good job, always commits, cares about the kids. "

Rachel nodded, " Which is why I was thinking about giving him the pastoral care job when Becky steps down from it. No, I want new blood around here. "

Eddie nodded and paused for a moment, before saying, " You know, I overheard Maxine and Janeece talking the other day in my class. Maxine was saying something about how Jack's looking for a job around here. "

Becky shrugged, " Well yeah, what with the baby, he wanted to be closer by so he could help out. He's been looking for a while - not even bothered about a headship he says, as long as it means being closer to the baby. "

" Maybe you could give Jack a job," Eddie told Rachel, " After all, we _do _need a full time history teacher from September since Jason Parker's jumping ship. "

Rachel didn't look convinced, " Giving Jack Rimmer a job here? The former headmaster? "

Becky was also suprised at the thought of it, but Eddie shrugged, " Just a suggestion. There's a job he could fill, he wants a job, he's a damned good teacher. "

Becky couldn't imagine Jack coming back to teach here. The last time they'd taught together, they'd fallen in love, and she knew it he was here, and she saw him every day, it would happen again.

" I don't know how Jack would feel about that," she said.

" How Jack would feel, or how _you _would feel? " asked Eddie with a bit of a smile, " thought you'd resolved your diferences? "

Becky felt her cheeks heating up and she shook her head, " We have," she said.

Eddie realised that the look on her face and the colour of her cheeks were not hiding the fact that she still had a thing for her ex. He supposed he wasn't that suprised - they'd always been a fantastic couple, and he supposed a connection like that couldn't be easily severed.

They were interrupted by the phone ringing.

Rachel answered the phone, and after a few minutes, she put the phone down, shaking her head. " It seems we've hit a snag with the construction work," she said, " there's a little protest going on down there. "

Eddie groaned, and Becky rolled her eyes, " I bet I can tell you who the protestors are. "

Rachel nodded, " I'm thinking Mika Grainger and Brett Aspinall too. Eddie, how about you get out there and try and see what's going on? "

Eddie nodded and left the room with a sigh.

Rachel and Becky waited in the office for him to return, and a short while later, he returned, with Tom at his side. Eddie looked pretty furious, and Tom looked fed up.

" Let me guess," Becky said, shaking her head, " it's Mika? "

Tom nodded, " Yeah. I didn't realise she was this serious about her whole save the planet thing. "

" Well, it needs stopping," said Eddie, hands on his hips, taking a deep breath furiously, " Mika and Brett were stood in front of the JCB. They could have been killed - what goes in in their heads? They'll be attracting more and more kids if we're unlucky. "

" I'll have a word," Tom said, holding up his hands, " honestly, I don't think we need to make a big deal out of it. They're just messing about. "

" Yeah, well, we need to nip this in the bud," Eddie said firmly.

Rachel looked at Eddie, " Don't you have a lesson to go to? We'll handle this. "

Eddie shook his head, " I'm not teaching at the moment. "

Rachel shook her head, " You should be focusing on trying to find a job, not worrying about this place. "

Eddie sighed as he headed for the door, " Fine," he grumbled, " but in about five minutes you're going to have Stuart Hordley on the phone, wondering why his £120 a day workers are sitting around on their backsides, drinking tea and playing cards. "

He left the room, closing the door behind him, and Tom looked from Becky to Rachel in confusion.

" Eddie's leaving? "

Rachel nodded, " He resigned last week. Rebecca, if you've got a lesson to go teach, you might as well teach it. Tom and I can handle this. "

At break time, Becky was heading for the staffroom, but it didn't take her long to notice all the kids heading across the field to see what was going on outside. She sighed and knew she ought to go and stop them, and she started outside, pulling her huge trenchcoat around her stomach and trying to button it up.

She saw the crowds of kids gathering, and saw Rachel and Eddie at the front, trying to force them to go back inside.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Tom.

" No luck with Mika then," she said.

" Hey," he said, " get back inside. Let the rest of us handle this - I'm not sure how much I like the thought of you pushing through a crowd of kids. "

" I'll be fine," she said.

Tom shook his head, steering her so she was facing the other direction, " Go back inside," he said, " if Rachel and Eddie can't get them to go back inside, then you're not going to do any good. Go upstairs and put your feet up. "

She sighed and gave in.

She went up to the staffroom and took a seat with Matt and Grantly. Steph was sitting on a table not far away, and when Eddie came into the staffroom a few minutes later, Steph called his name and held out something to him.

" Might be a good day to bury bad news," Becky heard Steph tell Eddie, " Hordley's donation to the school. "

Eddie looked down at the cheque and shook his head, " He's bounced a cheque on us? "

" These things happen," sighed Steph, " do you want me to tell Rachel? "

" No," Eddie said, shaking his head, " I'll deal with it. "

Grantly laughed, " Wonder how Mason will deal with that. When she's got to deal with this thing outside too. She can't keep the kids in all day - with a bit of luck Aspinall will have gotten the whole school behind him, and it'll be free period for all. "

Eddie tutted as he looked at Grantly, " You know, you are one of the few things I won't miss about this place. "

All of the people around them reacted with shock. Grantly raised his eyebrows, " Moving on? " he asked, while Steph just said his name in a questioning tone, and Matt shook his head,

" Have you got a headship? " the young music teacher asked.

" No," Eddie said shortly.

" Then what's going on? " asked Steph, touching Eddie's arm.

Eddie sighed as he admitted to everyone, " Let's just say, there are irreconcilable differences between me and the way that this school is run. "

Steph frowned, but Grantly laughed, " Meaning you've had a falling out with her highness, the superhead, Miss Mason? "

Becky tried to hide her smile - she might not always have voiced things like Grantly did, and she might not always agree, but everyone knew he wasn't keen on Rachel, and she herself wasn't Rachel's biggest fan.

Rachel had never done anything wrong to Becky, but Becky had just never warmed to the woman who replaced Jack. She'd just always thought Rachel played it too safe, and lacked the edge that Jack had. She seemed to lack Jack's raw passion, and although Becky knew she cared about the school, she just never thought Rachel measured up. She knew it was probably herself being irrational because she was Jack's replacement.

" What? " Grantly asked innocently as he looked at Becky, " we all know she's not half the head Jack Rimmer was, and I wouldn't have thought you'd have been contesting it. "

Becky resisted the urge to smile and she noticed Steph doing the same. It was hard to earn Grantly's approval, and the fact that Jack had it was a huge thing for Grantly.

" Nice to know that you think so highly of Jack Rimmer," Eddie said with a wry smile, " I hear he's looking for a job in the area. "

" Really? " Steph asked, looking at Becky, as did the others in the near vicinity, since everyone knew she and Jack were obviously in contact.

Becky nodded, " He's in the process of looking for something. Wanted to be closer than an hour away when the baby comes. "

Eddie looked at Grantly, " I imagine this has made your day, hasn't it?"

Grantly shrugged, " Well, to be honest, it's not too much of a suprise. I thought you'd at least last a little longer than you actually did. Maybe another term or two. "

On the way to her classroom, Becky passed Tom's classroom. Her classroom was on the same side of the corridor as his, and he had to walk past her classroom to get to hers.

" Hey, how's it going? " Becky asked him as she stopped at his classroom door.

Tom shook his head, " They've got some more of the kids to join in now. I've tried to convince them to come back inside, but they're not listening. Not even when I told them that Rachel's threatening them with exclusion. "

" Can I do anything to help? " Becky asked.

" I don't think so," Tom said, shaking his head, " Mika's at the head of all this, and she won't lesson to me. I've tried to reason with her, but she won't listen. And you're not going out there anyway - I don't like the thought of you wandering around a building site. It's not safe. "

Becky smiled, " No-one would know, to listen to us, that I'm a grown woman, you know. "

Tom sighed, " Please Becks, I'm so stressed out, I don't need you to worry about too. I've already snapped at Davina, when she was only trying to help me, so she's probably in a mood with me now. It's just ... me and the girls usually get on so well, so it's hard when we're suddenly not. "

Becky nodded, rubbing his arm sympathetically, " Don't worry about it, Tom. You'll figure it out. "

Becky's next two classes were a year eight and year nine class, and both of which were quite easy classes as far as kids in this school went.

The baby was kicking her constantly and she was so drained she just wanted to go home.

On her way to lunch, she passed back Tom's classroom again and saw he and Rachel stood there, talking.

" Any luck? " Becky asked as she approached.

" None," Tom said, shaking his head, " that bloody bloke of Mika's from the internet - you know, the green one I mentioned - he's turned up with his mates now. "

" That's does it," Rachel said, shaking her head, " I'm calling the police. "

" No, that's what this Leon character wants," said Tom, shaking his head, " his face in the papers, but it's just him and his two or three mates. "

" Well, we've got to get rid of them," said Becky.

" Absolutely," Rachel said, " we can't have them here - they're trespassing. The police would shift them in a matter of minutes. "

Tom sighed and shook his head, " They won't," he said, " they've put up a barbed wire barricade, and they're planning on climbing up the tree and staying there until someone agrees to stop all the construction work. "

" Seriously? " Becky said, shaking her head, " they've got barricade? They're ... going to climb the tree? "

Tom sighed, " She's just not listening to me, but the good news is, most of them are just in it for the skive. We can get them to give it up easily enough, and Brett seems to want to give it up too. If we give it a bit of time, Brett might be able to work on Mika, get her to give it up too. "

Rachel nodded, " Fine they've got until the end of lunch time. Then we're going out there for a final attempt at convincing them to come down. "

Tom nodded silently, and Becky sensed his bad mood building up. He quite obviously wanted to be alone, and she patted his arm, " See you in a bit, Tom. "

Up in the staffroom, she saw Jasmine and Davina sitting together at one of the pine tables.

Becky smiled as she made her way over, and she sighed as she sat down in one of the chairs.

" Oh god," she said, letting out a breath as she sat down, resting a hand on her stomach, " I'm telling you, don't ever let anyone get you pregnant. "

Both Davina and Jasmine laughed, knowing she wasn't serious, and Becky smiled too, although she shook her head, " This isn't a joke," she said, " being almost 8 months pregnant, is ridiculously uncomfortable. Save yourselves the trouble. "

They both laughed again, and Becky sighed, rubbing her bump with a smile, despite her fed up and tired state. She was too consumed with thoughts of her baby to even listen to Davina and Jasmine's conversation, and she shook her head slightly and tried to stay focused on the conversation.

She tuned in just in time to hear Davina say, " I don't know that it'll ever happen now for me and Tom. "

" What? " Becky asked quickly, " just because you had one little argument? "

Davina shrugged, " Seems like all I do is wind him up. "

Becky wished Tom and Davina would just get together already, and Jasmine seemed to share the same sentiment. " Oh but Tom's just stressed," Jasmine said, " he's got a 16 year old and a 17 year old. He's got a lot on. "

" Well, I don't know if he even thinks of me anymore," Davina sighed.

As she said it, the staffroom door flew open, and Becky watched her older brother storm into the staffroom, looking highly unhappy. He almost walked into a cupboard door someone had left open and he slammed it loudly.

" What, people having trouble closing cupboards? " he demanded loudly, shaking his head as he went on to angrily make himself a drink.

Davina stoood up slowly, and Jasmine winced, " Davina, I'd wait," Jasmine said.

Becky nodded. He was obviously in a very bad mood and she said, " Yeah, I wouldn't. He's in no mood to talk. "

Davina sighed, " He doesn't look like he's handling it very well, but I suppose there's no point in me saying anything. I'll only get my head bitten off. "

After lunch, Becky had some free time, and she used it to go to her office. She had a lot of paperwork and behavioural reports to catch up on, and she hummed to herself as she put pen to paper.

She'd been in the office for a while, and after she'd finished her first batch of reports, she crossed the office to file the reports.

She put them in her filing cabinet and as she was closing the drawer, she heard an almighty crash from behind her and a thud.

Becky screamed in shock and almost jumped out of her skin. She turned around to see her window smashed in, glass shattered across the floor, and a brick sitting amidst it all.

Her hand came up to her mouth as she stared in complete shock at the brick, and the gaping hole in the window. She felt her shoulders starting to shake and she was terrified.

She cautiously started towards the window and looked out of it - her window overlooked the school fields and she looked out in time to see a few men running back towards the tree where the kids were in.

The fact that someone had thrown a brick threw the window of the room she was in absolutely terrified her, and she felt the fear building up inside her.

She left the office to go and find Eddie or Rachel.

As soon as she'd got into the corridor, she saw Eddie, and she shouted his name.

" Rebecca? " he asked, looking concerned, " is everything alright? Is it the baby? "

Her eyes were welling up with tears, and she shook her head, " I ... someone just threw a brick through my window. A brick! Through ... through my window! What if ... what if ... "

Eddie nodded, " It's ok, you're ok? "

Becky nodded, " I ... y-yeah. "

" Ok," Eddie said, reaching out and touching her arm softly, " I'm going to go around and see what's going on. Find out if anyone else has been affected. Why don't you go to the staffroom? "

When she got to the staffroom, Becky saw a number of the staff already there, and Steph was sitting down at a table, a mug of coffee in her hand, looking like she was equally as shaken up as Becky. Becky noticed that the staffroom window had been smashed.

" Becky. "

She looked up when she heard her name being called, and she sniffed, trying to stop the tears welling up in her eyes.

" Becky, are you alright? " Matt asked, reaching out to her with one hand.

" I got a brick through the window," she said, making all of her collegues around her gasp and start to mutter about it. They'd all heard about the brick through the staffroom window of course, but a brick through the window of the office of a heavily pregnant woman made them all even more shocked.

" Woah, are you alright? " Matt asked her, as he guided her to a seat.

Becky tried to nod but ended up shaking her head. She couldn't believe how shaken up she was by a bit of brick coming through her window, but the fact that she'd been in there when it hit, and it could have hit her was terrifying.

She sniffed and tried to wipe away the tears that fell, and she felt Matt slide into the seat beside her. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it hard. She smiled gratefully, and Matt held her hand and tried to comfort her as Eddie and Rachel came, with Grantly in tow. Grantly had also had a brick in his window, bringing the total number of staff who could have bee injured up to three, as well as Becky's unborn child.

" I'm sorry Matt," Becky said, starting to feel silly, once the tears stopped and she was left staring at the table, thinking about how serious this all was.

Matt shook his head, " You don't have to be sorry about anything, what're you talking about? "

Becky shook her head, " I think it's just hormones - I'm all over the place recently. Slightest thing sets me off. "

Matt squeezed her hand, " Don't worry about it," he said, his other arm wrapping around her, as he rubbed her arm softly, trying to take her mind off it, " you're allowed to be scared. " He sighed, looking annoyed, " God, you could have been killed. "

Grantly looked from Becky, to Steph, to Rachel, " I think the police need to be called," he said, " it's too dangerous around here. "

" Absolutely," Matt nodded, " I mean, Grantly, Steph and Becky could all have been seriously injured. It's not safe to teach on that side of the school any more. "

" We should send everyone home," Grantly said immediately.

Rachel sighed, " This is all down to that bloody eco-warrior lot. Eddie, can you go find Tom please? This has all gotten too serious - you and him need to get out there and try and have a final word. Tell them they're getting expelled if they don't come down. Tell them whatever it takes. "

Grantly sighed, " This is a serious health and safety issue. We shouldn't have to work under these conditions. "

Becky nodded, having managed to compose herself, " I agree, We can't work like this. "

There was a murmur of agreement from everyone around them, and Rachel got all of the lessons which should be taught on the "unsafe" side of the school, into the hall. It was cramped, but at least it was safe.

Matt walked there with Becky, and as they stopped outside the hall, he reached out to touch her arm.

" Now, everything's going to be alright, yeah? "

She nodded and plastered a big smile across her face, " Look at me - I'm fine. "

Matt nodded, " Course you are. "

It was difficult, trying to teach the classes in the hall, and there wasn't really any learning going on. Eventually, the teachers were close to breaking point, and ended up splitting all the kids into group and deciding to try and organise a quiz. There was on way they could teach lessons, and they had to do something to keep them occupied.

Becky was handing out pens to people who didn't have them when she saw Eddie pushing through people.

She looked away, but looked back when she realised he was heading for her. She looked quite desperate, and he stopped just in front of her, taking a moment to catch his breath.

" Rebecca," he said desperately, " there's been an accident. "

" Accident? " she asked, frowning. She didn't like the sound of it.

He nodded, " It's Tom ... he ... he was climbing a ladder to try and get Mika down from the tree, and that Leon bloke told her to kick the ladder ... so she did. "

" Oh ... my God," Becky said, her hand flying to her mouth. Awful images flew through her mind and she shook her head, " is he ... alright? "

Eddie looked like he didn't know what to tell her, and she shook her head. She couldn't handle the thought of anything happening to Tom, given that Tom was her rock and he seemed to be the one constant in her life.

She hurried from the room as best she could, and she knew she was attracting a lot of attention in the process. She was so worried about her brother, and Eddie followed nearby her, keeping a close eye on her as she tried to hurry to Tom's side.

At the foot of the tree, she saw Tom lying out on his back, and she gasped when saw him. His eyes were closed and her mind immediately went to the darkest places.

" Tommy," she breathed, taking Eddie's arm as he helped her to her knees.

Becky noticed that Mika had come down from the tree and was looking very tearful as she stood nearby. Becky didn't have time to think about anyone else though, and the sight of her unconscious brother was too much for her to see.

She reached out and rested her hand on her brother's cheek, hoping to rouse him.

" Tom," she breathed, patting his cheek lightly, " Tommy, wake up. " She felt her eyes filling with tears as she got no response, " Tom, please wake up," she pleaded, moving her hands to his shoulders and trying to give him a shake, " please wake up. Please, please wake up. " The tears were falling down her cheek and she shook him again, " you are _so _not allowed to die on me. Your nephew and I need you. "

" Becky, I'm so sorry," Mika said, shaking her head.

" Mika, I can't listen to it right now," Becky said, her voice thick with tears as she turned back to Tom and tried to plead with him to wake up again.

" Tom, please," Becky breathed.

Her brothers eyes flickered open, and she let out a huge sigh of relief.

The ambulance came soon, and the paramedic checked Tom out. Once they'd said he had no broken bones or any other injuries, they allowed him to get up, and they led him for a sit down.

They wrapped Tom up in a blanket in an attempt to make sure he was alright, and staff had started to flock around him, checking on him.

Tom sat on the back of the ambulance, wrapped up in the big blanket, and Becky sat beside him, her arm around his shoulders. Rachel stood nearby, concerned, and Mika was hovered, her face tained with tears. Davina had also come out to check on Tom.

" I really thought you were dead when I saw you," Becky sniffed, tears falling down her cheeks, as she cursed herself for being so emotional.

" Hey, hey don't be daft," Tom said, turning so he was actually facing her, " I was never going to die. "

" You scared me," she sniffed.

Tom shook his head and pulled her in for a big hug. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a hug as best he could, with her pregnant belly between them.

Tom kissed her cheek and when he pulled away from her, Becky shook her head.

" I'm sorry Tom," she said, " I'm so emotional these days. When the tears start, I just can't stop them. "

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her as she tried to get rid of the remaining tears. Rachel smiled at Tom, as Davina comforted Mika and took her inside.

" I would have preferred a negotiated settlement," Rachel told Tom with a bit of a smile, " but I suppose a dive from a 20 foot tree will do the trick. "

They sat outside for a bit longer, while Tom recovered from the shock, and when he was ready to go back inside, he thought he ought to go see his girls. He stood up, and hugged Becky again, assuring her he was fine.

When Becky left school at the end of the day, she was leaving at the same time as Maxine.

" Becky! " Maxine said, pushing through the crowds of other pupils to get to her foster mother, " I heard about the brick - are you alright? "

Becky waved it off, " It's fine," she said, " I was shaken up at the time, but I'm totally fine now. I just want to get home. "

Maxine nodded and as they walked out, Becky said, " Anyway, I'm fed up of today. How about we go in, order a takeaway and put on a film? "

" Something with Johnny Depp in? " Maxine asked hopefully.

Becky laughed, " Lots of things with Johnny Depp in. Preferably something with Johnny Depp dressed as a pirate. "

Maxine nodded, " I'm in. Added value of Orlando Bloom. "

" Sounds good to me. Maybe we should make a night of it - we could watch the films back to back," Becky smiled.

As she and Maxine went to the car, she saw Tom across the car park. Tom pulled his girls into a big hug and when they broke apart, she saw Davina walking towards him across the carpark. She smiled at the sight of he and Davina talking, thinking it could lead to he and Davina getting back together.

" Can we get Indian? " Maxine asked Becky.

Becky grinned, " We can get anything you want. "


	26. Match Making

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty-Six

Just over a week later, Becky had the girls over for Sunday lunch. She cooked dinner for she, Maxine, Mika and Chlo, and once they'd eaten the dinner, she got them all a bowl of chocolate fudge cake and they went into the living room.

" Tuck in, girls," Becky said, balancing her bowl on her bump, as Maxine put the tv on.

" See what's on the movie channel, Max," Chlo suggested.

Maxine nodded and put the movie chanel on, and after flicking through a few of the channels, Mika pointed out one, " Ooh, Bridget Jones," she said, leave this on.

" Mmmm," Becky agreed, " Colin Firth _and _Hugh Grant. "

" Ew," Maxine said, shaking her head, " neither of them are good looking. "

Becky laughed, and she put a spoonful of chocolate cake into her mouth, " God, this is gorgeous," she said, shaking her head, " soon, I won't be able to eat things like this anymore. "

" Why not? " Chlo asked.

Becky smiled, " Well, I can eat rubbish like this because I can use the excuse that I'm eating for two. I'm not going to have that excuse for much longer. "

Maxine sighed, " I hope the baby isn't going to cry all night, every night. "

Becky couldn't resist a smile, " I think you're sadly mistaken if you think he's not going to cry. All babies cry. At least _you _won't be the one having to get up in the middle of the night to make him stop. Anyway, someone talk about something else - I want to forget all about the sleepless nights that are coming my way. And you lot don't want to hear about it - you've got forever before it happens to you. Mika, I hear you and Brett got back together? "

Mika nodded, " Yeah, yeah we did. "

Chlo sighed, " Wish the same could be said for me and Donte. "

Becky smiled, " Need me to talk some sense into that godson of mine? "

Chlo shrugged, " I don't know what good it would do. "

Becky smiled sympathetically, " It'll all work out in the end, I'm sure. "

" He's got _Celine _now," Chlo sighed.

Mika scoffed, " _Celine. That _won't last. "

They fell into silence for a few moments, and the silence was broken by Chlo, " Becky, what do you think of Tom and Davina? What's going on with them? "

" Nothing as far as I know," Becky said, " why? "

Chlo and Mika exchanged a look, " Well," Chlo said, " Mika and me were talking, and we've seen how Tom is with Davina. We think he really likes her, but he's so worried about what me and Mika think to do anything about it. Don't you think they'd be good together? "

Becky smiled, " I think I'd love for Tom to be happy with someone, but we really shouldn't push them. "

Mika and Chlo were looking quite mischevious, and Becky shook her head, " Hang on, what's going on here? Have you two got some kind of ... plan? "

Mika shrugged, and Becky shook her head, " Great. Max, are you in on this? "

Maxine looked equally mischevious and she shrugged, " The three of us might have spoke about something. "

" Let's hear it," Becky said, rolling her eyes.

" We just think they need a little push," Mika said, " so we thought ... maybe we could set them up on a date. Tell him we're fine with it, and push them out on a date. "

Becky frowned a little, " We probably shouldn't meddle. If they're going to be together, we should all let them work it out on their own. "

" Just a little push," suggested Chlo.

Becky wasn't sure but after a pause she nodded, " So you were thinking of setting them up on a date, telling him you're fine with it, and then sending him on a date? "

Mika nodded, " We know it might be a bit ... risky, but we're sure he likes her and she likes him, and we just want him to be happy. "

Chlo nodded, " He hasn't had anyone since Mum died, and he obviously likes her, so ... "

Becky smiled, " I agree that Tom needs to be happy, and he daren't take the step. What kind of date were you thinking of setting them up on? Because that Italian place in town is _the _most romantic place nearby. Now, I'm going to get a cuppa. "

The moment Becky had left the room and shut the door behind her, Maxine leaned in towards her friends, " Ok," she said, " I've decided I've had enough of Jack and Becky. "

Chlo raised her eyebrows, " Huh? "

Maxine shook her head, " We're match-making Tom and Davina - can't we try and do something for Becky and Jack too? "

Mika and Chlo exchanged a look, " Do they like each other? " asked Mika.

Maxine nodded, " Last weekend, I was at Jack's, and I asked him about it. He said he'd like to get back together with her, but he doesn't think she'd let him back in, after everything that happened. But every time he comes over here, it's _so _obvious they've still got their old spark. They're so good together, but they're scared to admit they like each other in case it goes wrong. "

Chlo smiled, " What did you have in mind? "

Maxine shrugged, " I've got a few things up my sleeve. "

A few hours later, when the film they were watching was over, and evening was coming around, Becky smiled at the girls, " Come on, you two," she said, " let's take you home. "

" I'll come," Maxine said, standing up.

When they got to the house, Tom smiled and hugged his sister, and then said he'd get them a drink. Becky nodded and agreed to stay for a bit, and was taking her coat off when Mika said, " Becky, would you mind checking over my coursework? "

Becky nodded, " Of course - I told you I would do the other day, didn't I? No use living with the brother of your history teacher if you can't use said teacher to double check your coursework. I'll be ten minutes, Tom. "

Becky followed Mika up the stairs, and didn't notice Maxine going into the kitchen.

Tom put the kettle on for himself, and once he'd done so, turned around to see Maxine.

" Oh," he said, suprised - after all, he and Maxine had little to do with each other. Maxine often stayed at their house, but she was always upstairs with Chlo, so Tom didn't have too much to do with her, although he thought she was a nice girl. " You alright? "

Maxine sighed, " I just wanted to ask you what you think about Becky and Jack. "

" Becky and Jack? " he asked, confused.

The teenager in front of him nodded, " I want to try and get them back together. I think they just need reminding that they're perfect for each other. "

Tom had had a suspicion that his sister was still in love with her ex, but he wasn't completely sure. He knew her better than anyone, and although they'd never had a conversation about it, he'd suspected it.

" She's still got feelings for him? " Tom asked.

The one thing he wanted was for his sister to be happy, and he didn't know if her getting back together with Jack would do it, but he thought it was worth considering.

Maxine nodded, " She's totally in love with him. It's so obvious when they're together. And he's totally head over heels for her too. "

" Is he really? " Jack asked.

Maxine nodded again, " Jack told me last time I saw him, that he'd love to get back together. "

Tom sighed. Jack had hurt his sister badly before, but if she still had feelings for him, and she wanted to be with him, then it was her choice. Jack seemed to be making up for any past mistakes by being there all the time for Becky and their baby.

" I thought maybe you could help me," Maxine said to Tom, " see, I was going to invite Jack down to see the football match on Friday. And maybe he could use the opportunity to win her back over? And also ... "

" Maxine? " Tom asked, seeing the almost guilty look on her face.

Maxine shrugged, " There's ... well, there's a history job going and I _might _have looked into it and taken one of Jack's CVs and sent it into the school for him. "

" You did ... what? " Tom asked.

Maxine shrugged, " I'm going to tell Jack about it this week of course, before anyone from the school gets in touch, but if they get back together, he might want a job there. And either way he needs a job _somewhere_. "

" I imagine you've not told Becky," said Tom, shaking his head.

Maxine smiled a little, " It's surprise. "

Tom nodded, " So you're hoping he'll come back to the school for the day, or maybe forever, and they'll just ... get back together. "

Maxine shrugged, " I know it sounds mental, but ... well, I think if I set something up, and then tell him, he'll realise he's got the chance to do something and win her back. I was thinking, maybe you could have a word with Miss Mason. Maybe recommend Jack? "

Tom pulled a face, " I don't really know if I have enough power to get Rachel to employ Jack. She has to employ teachers because they're the best of the bunch. But by all means, get Jack to come to watch the girls football team on Friday.

" Do you think they could get back together? " Maxine asked.

Tom smiled a little. " I don't know. "

But Tom couldn't help but think that the happiest he'd ever seen his sister was when she was in a relationship with Jack. He knew Jack had hurt her by cheating, but he'd been devastated when they split up and Jack had reunite several times before he moved away from the school. And since the baby, he'd been always there for her, and so attentive. Maybe Jack had grown up, he thought, since he'd last been at Waterloo Road.

But either way, Becky had to make her own decisions. And if being with Jack would make her happy ... well, Tom couldn't deny that Becky wasn't nearly as happy now as she was when she was with Jack.

The next day was Monday, and Becky walked into the staffroom at break only to be accosted by Jasmine.

" Becky! " Jasmine said, crossing the room.

Becky, now 35 weeks pregnant, and just about to sit down next to Tom, looked at the younger woman, " Should I sit down, or are we going somewhere? I only ask because if I sit down, it'll take too long to get back up again. "

Jasmine smiled, " I was hoping you could give me a hand roping in some kids for the spelling competition this friday. "

Becky nodded, " Sure," she said, " you don't have enough people? "

Jasmine sighed, " I've got a couple, but there's a few who need a bit more convincing. I thought since you're so good with the kids, you might be able to convince them. "

Becky nodded, " Fine. " She looked at Tom, " you know, you should be out there, trying to convince the kids to do this. "

He stuck his tongue out as a response, " Have fun. "

Becky narrowed her eyes at him, " Don't take that tone with me, Tom," she warned, although she was smiling.

Tom shrugged, " Darlin', get out there and enjoy your last week at the school for a few months. "

Grantly sighed, " What I wouldn't give for a few months off. Oh Rebecca, you _are _blessed. "

Becky laughed and left the room with Jasmine, and she'd only been gone a few minutes, when Eddie walked into the room. His eyes immediately fell on Tom, and he looked around the room, before going over to Tom.

" Tom," Eddie said, " is Becky around? "

Tom shook his head, " She's gone off helping Jas rope in some kids for this big spelling competition on Friday. Anything I can help with? "

Eddie hesitated and then nodded, " Yeah, go on then," he said, sitting down, " I'm sure Becky tells you everything, so you'll know the answer. Is Becky aware that Jack Rimmer's applied for a job here? "

Tom shook his head, " She doesn't know. But _I _know. It seems Maxine had a little something to do with it. "

" Oh," Eddie said, " then, does _Jack _know he's applied for a job here? "

" I think so," Tom said, " Maxine sent in the form on his behalf and she was going to tell him about it over the phone last night. "

" Right," Eddie said, " well, do you think Becky would be comfortable with Jack working here? "

" Look," Tom said, deciding he might as well level with the other man, " just between us, I'm pretty sure Becky's still in love with him. "

Eddie nodded, " I've seen how her face lights up when she talks about him. I thought as much. Poor girl never really got over him, did she? "

Tom couldn't resist a smile at that, " I don't actually know if "poor" is the word. From what Maxine tells me, Jack's admitted to being in love with her - only to Maxine, that is. And Maxine's desperate to get them back together. She wanted me to have a word with Rachel and try to convince her to give Jack a job. You know, talk him up a bit. "

" Really? " Eddie asked with raised eyebrows, " well, for one thing, we're not allowed to employ people just because we like them. And for another thing, it wouldn't be neccessary. Rachel and I have been looking through all the applicants this morning, and Jack's actually the best of the bunch by a long way. "

" Really? "

" Oh yeah. We're going to get a few in for interview, but Rachel wanted to make sure Becky would be comfortable with it first. Doesn't want any kind of staffroom drama. Especially as they're going to be working in the same department once she gets back from maternity leave," Eddie admitted.

Tom sighed, " Look, he and Becky are on really good terms. I know you know how messy their split was, but they've put it behind them. He comes over every week to take her to antenatal class and everything, so I wouldn't worry about any staffroom drama. And if Maxine has it her own way, they might up for getting back together. And we all know how good they were together. "

Eddie nodded, " Well, if you think they're on such good terms then, we'll get him in for interview. " After a pause, he said, " you really think they might get back together? "

Tom smiled a little, " All I know is, Maxine says Jack loves Becky, and the look on Becky's face when she talks about Jack says she might have more feelings for Jack than she lets on. Putting two and two together, I'd say there's a possibility. And God knows I think my sister deserves to be happy. He's coming over for the football match on friday, to see Maxine. "

Eddie thought about it, " Maybe ... maybe we could try and interview him on Friday then, since he'll already be here. I'll talk to Rachel about it. "

" Right," Tom nodded, " oh wait, listen, Maxine really wants to keep this a secret from Becky. "

Eddie frowned, " Won't she find out when he turns up on Friday? "

" Well, I know," Tom said, " but it must have something to do with her plan to get them back together. So I thought it wouldn't do much harm not to tell her, would it? "

Eddie nodded, " Yeah alright. "

As Eddie left the staffroom, Becky came back in, and she sat down opposite Tom.

" Hey," he said as she sat down, " any luck? "

She shrugged, " A little? I'm going to try and work on the kids when they turn up in my class throughout the week. "

" D'you want to come over for something to eat tonight? " he asked.

Becky looked at him, " Any particular reason? "

He shook his head, " Just thought you might fancy coming over for a bit. I'm cooking my famous chilli for the girls. "

Becky grinned, " Yeah. You're on. "

After work, she knocked on Tom's door, Maxine standing behind her. Tom answered the door, and he smiled and reached out to draw his sister into his arms for a hug.

The pair of them went through to the living room, while Maxine went upstairs with Chlo.

Becky reached for the remote as she sat down on the sofa and she switched the tv on. She flicked through the channels and when Tom came back into the room, he handed her a glass of orange juice.

" Can't wait until I can have coffee again," Becky said, accepting the glass with a smile, " and alcohol. "

Tom smiled sympathetically and sat down in the armchair, " Not long now," he said, to which Becky nodded.

They watched tv for a while, although there wasn't really anything on, and after a while, Tom's cooking was ready and they all sat down and tucked in. Becky enjoyed sitting down with her family and eating, and when they were done, she and Tom went back into the living room.

" Becky? " Tom asked.

Becky looked at her brother. " From that tone of voice, I _know _this is about to be a serious conversation. "

Tom smiled, " You got me. I just wanted to ask you something. "

" I'm listening," Becky said with a smile.

Tom bit his lip as he looked at his sister and he started, " It's just, I've been thinking. You can tell me to bugger off if you want, but i got to thinking about you and Jack. Do you ... are you ... do you still feel for him? "

Becky was surprised by his question as she looked at him, " W-what? "

Tom sighed, " I was just thinking ... I mean, you know there's nothing you can't tell me. "

Becky sighed as she thought about it. She'd never really admitted it to herself, never mind to anyone else, but she didn't quite know how to admit it to anyone else.

" Tom," she sighed, before nodding, " I ... I think ... I tried to tell myself that I didn't care about it. That I was over him. But every time I see him, he makes me laugh, me makes me smile, just makes me ... makes me feel so much better. He makes me feel like we were supposed to be together all along. Does that sound crazy? "

Tom smiled a little, " That sounds like someone who's definitley _not _over her ex. "

Becky nodded, " I'm ... I'm not over him. I ... I feel like an idiot for letting myself fall for him again, but ... well, here we are. "

" Oh Becks," Tom sighed, shaking his head, " you're not an idiot. We can't help who we fall in love with, now, can we? "

Becky sighed, " I just ... well, who'd have thought it would end up this way, back when we split up? I mean, I'm about to have the baby of a man I'm probably still in love with, but he doesn't feel the same way, and now we're going to be bound together for the rest of our lives because we're having a baby together. "

" How do you know he doesn't feel the same? " Tom asked, " would you ever get back together with him if he _was _interested? "

" Don't do this to me," Becky said, laughing a little, " I can't think about this. If we get back together, and things go wrong ... we've got a baby to think about. We can't mess it up again. Not when we've got our son to think about. "

Tom nodded. After a pause, he said, " What if you took the cheating away from it? Say nothing went wrong - would you take him back? "

Becky sighed, " If you mean, have I forgiven him, then I have. It's in the past. 99 percent of me thinks we could get back together and it would all be fine, but there's a tiny little 1 percent that won't let me think about it. This tiny little bit that keeps warning me that it could all go wrong again. "

Tom sighed, " Come here," he said, reaching out with one hand.

Becky sighed and went to sit next to him on the sofa, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

" Now," Tom said, as his sister rested her head against his shoulder, " God knows I think Jack was an idiot for ever cheating on you, but if you've forgiven him, then that's up to you. But really, can I give you a little bit of advice? "

" Go ahead," she said, feeling very comfortable at her brothers side.

Tom cleared his throat, " Right," he said, " my love life is hardly amazing, but I want to tell you that if you're 99 percent sure that you want to get back together with him, I don't think you can let that 1 percent get in the way. If you really love him, I think you should ignore that 1 percent, and take the leap. "

" You think? " she asked, looking up at him.

Tom looked straight at her, " Right," he said, " level with me - would you get back together, given them opportunity? "

Becky sighed, " I ...I ... fine. Yes. "

" Oh Becks," Tom sighed, pulling her in for a hug, and kissing the top of her head. She sighed and relaxed against him, closing her eyes.

" I can't do anything about it though," she said, " I don't know how Jack feels. It's all too complicated. "

Tom nodded, leaving the conversation behind. Now she'd admitted that she would get back together with Jack, given the opportunity, at least he knew - or hoped - she wouldn't be upset or annoyed when she found out they were all plotting behind her back. He contented himself with the thought that they were only trying to help Becky.

The next morning, Becky got out of the car at school with Maxine.

" So is everything set for tonight? " she asked her foster daughter.

Maxine nodded, " Chlo says she's going to slip the note into Miss Shackleton's things when she's not looking, and Mika reckons they've ordered some flowers to send to Davina, and she's checked Tom's suit is all ready. "

Becky nodded, " And the girls know the time that I made the dinner reservation? "

Maxine nodded.

Tonight, they were setting up the date for Davina and Tom. Becky had made the dinner reservation, and the girls were going to make sure Tom got there, and write a note for Davina - pretending to be from Tom - telling her about the dinner.

What Becky didn't know was, Maxine had called Jack last night and told him about the job. She'd told Jack that she thought Becky still had feelings for him, and told Jack that he could win her over if he tried.

Maxine had tried to convince Jack he could win her over, and Jack had admitted that he was still in love with Becky, and wanted her back, though he was scared that she wouldn't want it, and it would make them awkward. Maxine had assured him that Becky would take him back. Jack hadn't been sure, but it had got him thinking.

On the way to the staffroom, Becky passed Eddie.

" Hey," he said, opening the door for her, " how does it feel to know you've got just a couple of days left before your maternity leave? "

" Terrifying and exciting at the same time," she replied with a smile, " I think I might actually go crazy, sitting around at home and doing nothing all the time. At least until the baby comes. Then I'm going to be so overwhelmed I won't know what to do. Anyway, have you and Rachel had any luck fillling Jason's Parker's role yet? I hope my new collegue is going to be someone I'll like. "

Eddie smiled a little, " Well, we've looked through all the applicants, but there's only really one really good candidate. We've got a few coming in at the end of this week and next week. "

" Well, let's hope they turn out to be good," Becky smiled.

Eddie shrugged, " I just hope this one turns out good. If we can't have the one who's our top candidate then we might have to settle for something only half as good. To be honest, we struck lucky getting the woman to cover your maternity leave, so maybe we can't expect to be as lucky with this one. "

Becky smiled, " Little bit of optimism, Eddie. Hopefully you'll get your top choice then. "

Later on in the day, Eddie passed Tom in the corridor and he turned on his heel to go back towards him. He called the name of the younger man, and when he reached him, said,

" Hey, so I spoke to Rachel about the interviews for the new history job. "

" Yeah? "

Eddie nodded, " I told Rachel that Jack's going to be in school to watch Maxine in the girls football team on friday, and she agreed to interview him on friday, since he'll be here anyway. "

Tom nodded, " That's good news. Maxine reckons she's told Jack this is his opportunity to win Becky over. "

" What if Becky doesn't want him back? " Eddie asked, " I don't know about you, but I don't want an angry pregnant woman on my hands, if she finds out that we all plotted to get Jack into the school, and decides she wants nothing to do with him. "

Tom smiled, " I actually don't think there's much to worry about. Becky told me last night, that she'd get back together with him, if she could. "

Eddie nodded, " Right. But just so we're clear, if she's _not _happy about all of this, I'll make sure it's you she comes after, and not me. "

Tom laughed. He didn't see anything wrong with a bit of matchmaking when it was clear that the couple in question were perfect for each other. They might have had a few problems, but they were perfect together.

Of course he didn't know, that his girls were all plotting a matchmaking scheme involving him.

The next day was Wednesday, and as Becky walked into the school, her mind turned to Tom and Davina.

Last night was the date they'd all set up for Tom and Davina, and she'd recieved a text from Mika last night saying Davina had shown up on the date and they'd left Tom there. How it went, Becky wasn't sure, but she hoped it had gone well.

Becky walked into the staffroom once she and Maxine had parted ways, and she had only just walked in, when she saw Tom sitting with Jasmine and Matt, and Davina over in the kitchen area making a drink.

" Morning," she said brightly as she sat down.

There was a general round of "good mornings", and Tom looked at her, " So," he said in a careful tone, " I had an interesting night. "

" Did you? " Becky asked, trying to keep the smile off her face as she met his eyes.

" Rebecca," he said, in a serious tone.

She smiled and held up her hands innocently, " I can't imagine _what _you're talking about. "

" Well," Tom said, " when I got in from work last night, my best suit was ironed and hanging on the front of the wardrobe, and the girls told me I was treating them for dinner. When we got to the restaurant, they presented me with a single red rose and told me the dinner reservation was actually for two. Then they sent me in, and left me. I'm pretty sure you had something to do with it. "

Becky shrugged, " I might have known _something _about it then. Tell me it went well? "

Tom smiled, and she sighed in relief - the smile on his face was huge and was definitley an answer in the affirmative.

" I think Davina and I are officially together now, yes," he nodded.

Becky grinned, " Tom, that's amazing," she said, while Matt and Jasmine also offered their congratulations to him.

When Davina came to sit with them, she was wearing a very big smile, and Becky was more than happy that her brother had been able to find some happiness, after all he'd been through.

At break time, she walked into the staffroom to see Matt and Steph stood in the kitchen area, while Jasmine, Davina and Tom were sat down on some of the chairs.

Becky was about to sit down when she saw a beautiful bunch of flowers sitting on the counter. They were a big bunch of bright red roses, with a red ribbon around the vase. They were beautiful.

" Someone's lucky," she said.

Everyone looked quite amused, and Becky was suspicious of the looks they were all sharing, until Matt said, " Maybe you should come and read the card. "

" What? Why? "

" Get over there," Tom said with a smile, " and just read the card. "

Becky shook her head - surely they couldn't be for her? But why else would everyone be looking at her like they were, and why else would they want her to read the card?

She got up and went over to the counter, and as she did so, Steph said, " They just came about five minutes ago. Some bloke from a florists company brought them. I must say I'm a bit gutted they're not for me. "

Becky curiously went up to the flowers, aware of all her friends and collegues watching curiously. Becky took the card from the bouquet and scanned it.

It read: " _Rebecca, I felt that someone as wonderful as you deserved the most beautiful flowers I could find. Enjoy xxxx _"

" Well, who're they from? " Jasmine called.

Becky shook her head, " I don't know. It doesn't say. "

She was curious as to who they from, but they were so beautiful that she didn't care who they were from. She felt a broad smile cross her face as she leaned in and smelt them.

Roses were her favourites, and she adored red roses.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten flowers from anyone.

" Well, you've certainly got an admirer," Matt said.

Becky smiled, " They're so beautiful. Roses are my favourite, you know. "

Matt smiled, " I didn't know that, but clearly someone _does. "_

Becky sighed as she looked at the flowers. She leaned forwards again to smell them and closed her eyes, sighing as smelt them. They really were delightful.

" Who do you think they're from? " asked Steph.

Becky shook her head, as she looked at the card. " I really don't know," she said, although she couldn't get the smile off her face from the gift. " I don't recognise the handwriting, so it can't be anyone I know that well. "

" That doesn't mean anything," said Davina, " most people get the florist to write the message for them. It's more likely to be someone you _do _know. "

Becky smiled, " Well," she said, reaching out to touch one of the roses, " I can't imagine who'd want to send me flowers, but they're very much appreciated. "

" Clearly, you've got an admirer," Matt said.

Becky rolled her eyes, " Don't be silly. I'm 8 months pregnant. A man would have to be crazy to admire this. "

" Don't be daft," Tom laughed, " a man doesn't buy a bunch of flowers like that for a woman he's interested in. They must have been expensive. "

Matt laughed, " So you've got a rich admirer? Go you. "

Becky smiled - she didn't have a clue who could have sent them. There weren't any men in her life - all she had was Tom, and Donte. And Jack, she supposed.

She didn't have a clue who could of sent them, but she knew she couldn't get the smile off her face. As she admired them, Davina said, " You don't suppose they could be from Jack, do you? "

" Jack? " Becky asked, straightening up, " I wouldn't have thought so. Why would Jack be buying me flowers as gorgeous as these? We're not together or anything. "

Davina shrugged, " Just a suggestion. "

Becky didn't think for a minutes that they could be from Jack - like Tom had said, men didn't buy flowers are gorgeous as these unless they were interested in them. She couldn't imagine who they were from, but she didn't suspect Jack.

She also didn't suspect Jack the next day, when she came into the staffroom first thing to see a bunch of lilies sitting on the counter.

" Another little present for you," Grantly said, from where he stood with the kettle in his hand.

" For me? " Becky asked, glancing over her shoulder at Tom, who was putting her bags down for her. Tom forced himself to keep a straight face, but he couldn't remember seeing her as happy as she was to get those flowers yesterday in a while, and he suddenly imagined that she was going to be able to get back together with Jack.

" Told you you had an admirer," Matt said.

" Oh, they're gorgeous," Becky sighed, her face lighting up as she took out the card and read it. It read " _Rebecca, I felt like one bunch of flowers wasn't enough, so here's another xxx"_

" Any clue as to who they're from? " Steph asked.

Becky shook her head, " No. But whoever he is, he's got good taste. " She looked around the staffroom, trying to work out who they could be from. It was someone who knew where she worked, and that was all she knew.

She was thrilled to recieve such tokens of affection, and it put her in a good mood for the rest of the day.

When she went to her first class - her 6th formers - Maxine noticed the smile on her face, and she pretty sure what had caused them.

At break time, Becky went and sat down with Tom, Matt and Davina, Steph called, " Another little present over here for you, Becky. "

" No way," Becky laughed, " seriously? This is getting too much! "

" Don't get up," Steph said as she walked over, " I've got it. "

She came over and handed Becky a love heart shaped thing in red wrapping paper. Becky took it carefully and smiled as she unwrapped it, aware of all eyes on her.

" Truffles! " she said with a grin, looking at the box of chocolates, " my favourites! "

Matt grinned, " Well, whoever this is, they certainly know you well. "

Becky's lips curved into a smile - she wondered if it could possibly be Jack. There weren't too many people who'd know her favourite flowers and chocolates.

" There's a card," Tom pointed out, as it fluttered to the floor.

Davina reached down and gave it to Becky, and she smiled gratefully as she took hold of it and looked at it. It was a bigger card than the ones that had been in the flowers, and this one read,

" _Rebecca, I know how much you love these, so here you go. If I know you, I know you're going crazy trying to work out who these gifts are from. But don't worry, I'll be seeing you very soon xxxx "_

Becky shook her head and she held out the card for Tom to read. Tom managed to keep a straight face and pretend he knew nothing about it, but he couldn't deny that the smile on Becky's face from the gifts she'd been recieving was the biggest smile he'd seen from her in ages.

Becky smiled as she thought about the gifts. Yesterday's bunch of roses was sitting on the desk in her office, and today's lilies were on the kitchen counter in the staffroom still, and would soon be sitting on her kitchen table at home.

" Well," Davina said, reading the card after Tom handed it to her, " looks like you'll be finding out who your secret admirer is soon. "

Becky smiled at the thought of it - it was all so confusing, but it was nice to think that a man was interested in her, since it had been so long since she'd had anyone.

She knew there was only one man that actually wanted, however.

Tom smiled to himself - he had a feeling that Jack's appearance the next day, would be very welcome.


	27. Last Day

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Author's Note: I know the episode with the fire actually happened on the last day of term in the show, but I changed it to happen on the last day of Becky's time at the school before maternity leave - a few weeks before the end of the term. That's just because I plan of writing a sequel to this (if anyone would read it?) and in the events of that, I needed Becky to be back off maternity leave earlier in the year, which meant sending her on leave earlier.**

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was the end of the first week in June, and the last day before Becky's maternity leave was due to start. She was in a very good mood as she got out of the car, and the whole school seemed to be in a good mood, with the upcoming girls football team and spelling competition.

There were just 5 weeks to go until the summer holidays started, and just 4 weeks to go unil Becky's son was due to be born.

Maxine went to join Janeece and some of the other girls, as soon as she got out of the car.

" You ready for this afternoon girls? " Becky asked, watching them kick the ball between them as she passed.

They all replied positively, and Janeece grinned, " Yeah, we'll show them posh kids how it's done. "

Maxine nodded, " Karla and that will trash them in the spelling bee, and we'll sort them out on the pitch this afternoon. "

Becky grinned, " I know you will. Good luck girls. "

Becky smiled when she went into the school to see Candace Smilie putting out biscuits and orange juice on a table at the front, ready for the arrival of the rival school. A handyman was putting up a big banner to welcome them, and Becky smiled as she headed for the staffroom.

When she walked into the staffroom, Becky laughed when she saw the big banner that someone had put above the kitchen area.

It read "Good luck Becky and Baby" in big letters, and there were smaller messages around it, all wishing her luck, from all of her collegues.

" Oh guys," Becky said, grinning as she stood in the middle of the room, " thanks! "

" Hey, you've got another little gift," Steph told Becky, as she made her way over to the counter. Becky smiled - yesterdays chocolates and lilies, and wednesday's roses had been unexpected and very welcome, and as she went to the counter, she smiled.

She ignored Tom, Davina, Steph and Grantly around her as she looked at it.

In a small vase was one white rose, and she took the card from it.

It read, " _A single perfect rose, for the perfect woman. I'll be seeing you very soon gorgeous xxx"_

Becky shook her head as she read the card, not allowing herself to dare think her mystery benefactor was who she wanted it to be. But there was only one person she could imagine - only one person called her "gorgeous" on a regular basis. She shook off the thought and joined in conversation with her collegues.

She looked up as Steph put a newspaper down on the counter and tapped the headline, " Isn't this the guy who's doing our building work? "

They all looked down - it was indeed a picture of Stuart Hordley, and the headline read "Building form on the bricks - hundreds left jobless. "

" I think it is," Tom nodded.

Steph shrugged, " Well, I hope the council is picking up the slack, because he's gone bust. "

It wasn't news that really bothered any of them that much, and Tom rubbed Becky's arm as she passed him to pour a drink, slowly putting down the white rose with a smile.

" You looking forward to your freedom, darlin'? "

Becky laughed, " Oh Tommy, just because I'm going to be away from the school doesn't mean I'm going to be free. But I know what you meant - and yeah, I'm looking forward to it all. "

Tom smiled and Becky looked at him. " Anyway, how's our girls coming on? "

Tom beamed with pride, sipping his coffee, " They've got this in the bag. They're going to knock 'em dead out there this afternoon. "

Jasmine was the next into the staffroom, and she eyed the white rose on the counter, on her way to the kettle, " Another gift? " she asked Becky, " my, you _are _lucky. "

Becky smiled, " It's beautiful isn't it? " There was a good mood across the whole staffroom at the day, since it was so different to what they usually did on a normal day. Becky smiled at Jasmine, " never mind me, though - how's the spelling competition coming on? "

" Oh, they're great," Jasmine beamed, " I had them practising last night, and they're just great. "

Gratly, who was unusually quiet, sighed, " It's all just a glorified spelling test - it was all part of the curriculm in my day. Rebecca, you don't know how lucky you are to get some extra time off. "

" Oh cheer up," Becky said with a laugh, " there's only 5 weeks until the end of term, after all! "

Grantly nodded, and as she spoke he checked his watch three times, and then left the room - clearly he had somewhere important to be.

Jasmine, Tom, Becky and Davina stood together in the kitchen area, while Steph went to sit down and flip through a magazine. As the four of them spoke, Becky smiled at the sight of Tom and Davina stood side by side, arms round each other.

As Becky was thinking about how happy the pair of them were together, Rachel walked into the staffroom.

" Ah Rebecca," Rachel said, as everyone fell silent at her arrival, " we've got a little something for you. From all of us. "

Becky smiled, touched that all her collegues had thought of her like this, " Really? That's so sweet. "

Rachel smiled as she walked over and handed Becky something big and giftwrapped. Becky smiled when she saw it was a big blue moses basket, filled with tiny little blue outfits and blankets and teddy bears.

Becky felt her eyes filling up with tears - it didn't take much to get her emotional these days. " Thanks Rachel," she said, smiling at it as she took it, " it's lovely. "

Rachel smiled and gave Becky a hug.

Becky smiled and put it down on the counter with a smile. She admired it as Rachel looked around at all of the staff, " Right," she said, " Forrest Mount are here, so I'll say to you lot, what I said to the kids - everyone on their best behaviour, right? We'll go out there and show them what we're all about, and afterwards, drinks are on me. "

Everyone cheered, and Rachel shrugged, " Well, the first one, anyway," she said, before leaving them too it.

The staff were full of excitement, and they were still stood talking when Matt came into the room. He joined his friends at the counter and smiled at Becky's gift from the staff, before looking at the white rose.

" Another gift from your admirer? " Matt asked with a smile.

Becky nodded, " It's lovely, isn't it? I just wish this admirer would come along and tell me who he is, and what he wants. "

" What he wants is probably you," Matt laughed, " isn't that the point of an admirer? "

Becky smiled and as Matt reached out to touch the rose gently, a very familiar voice filled the room.

" Good morning everyone," he said.

Becky frowned - of course she knew who the voice belonged to but she didn't know what he was doing here. She turned around quickly and her eyes widened when she saw Jack. He was standing beside Eddie, with a smile on his face.

Everyone in the room looked suprised - after all, at the begining of the school year, Jack had been headmaster, and now he was standing in the middle of the staffroom.

There was silence around the room, and it was Becky who broke it.

" Jack? " she asked, not quite sure what she was seeing, " what're you doing here? " She shook her head, " I mean, I knew you were coming for the football this afternoon but ... "

Eddie smiled and took over as he announced, " Rachel and I thought we might as well get Jack's interview in today, since he was going to be in school anyway. "

Becky's eyes widened and the room was still quiet as everyone took the information in.

" You've ... you've applied for a job here? " she asked, surprised, although now she thought of it, she wasn't sure why she was so surprised - it was obvious that he should do so actually. She should have suggested it herself, now she thought of it.

Jack nodded.

As Becky smiled at the news, the staff around her who had been worried at her reaction were no long worried. Her smile showed that she thought it was good news and she laughed, " Well, that's great - you should have said! "

Jack gave her his most irresistable grin as he said, " Surprise? "

Becky smiled and everyone in the room started talking amongst themselves again, not the initial shockof Jack turning up had worn off, although they were probably all talking about Jack.

" Rebecca," Eddie said, " can I leave Jack with you? Rachel and I came in early to do his one-to-one and we'll have to meet again later on, but for now, I thought he could look around the department and meet with Jim? "

Becky nodded, " Yeah, sure. "

Eddie nodded in thanks and then looked around the room, " Where's Grantly? "

" He was here earlier," Jasmine supplied, as everyone shook their heads.

Eddie sighed, rolling his eyes, " Can someone try to find him? "

Steph offered to, and Eddie nodded, " Thank you. Call me old fashioned, but I think the head of department should at least put in an appearance at the spelling bee. "

When Eddie had left, Jack crossed the room.

" How're you feeling? " he asked the mother of his child as he came to stand in front of her. She nodded in response, a little unsure of what to say and how she was even feeling - in some ways it made sense for him to work at the school, but the thought of seeing him every day ... well, she didn't quite know what to think.

**" **Good," she nodded, " I'm good. "

He nodded too, " And James? "

Becky smiled, subconsciously bringing a hand to rest on her bump. Around her, her friends were smiling at the pair of them, and they exchanged looks at the name James.

" Is that the baby's name? " Jasmine asked with a smile.

Becky swatted at Jack's arm, " No, and he _knows _it's not, and I've _told _him not to start calling him anything, until we decided. " To her friends, she added, " James is on the table. It's between James and Dylan, and we can't decide. "

Jack folded his arms as he looked at his ex, " You haven't answered the question. "

Becky smiled, rubbing her stomach, " He's fine. We're both doing good. "

Jack smiled and Tom cleared his throat. " Good to see you back here, mate," Tom said, extending his hand to him.

Jack looked at the other man. He expected Tom to hate him - he knew Tom had forgiven him for Izzie's death (since Jack wasn't really to blame anyway) but he had expected Tom to hold a grudge against him for cheating on his little sister and getting her pregnant.

Tom smiled and Jack knew that this was some kind of forgiveness from the other man, and stuck out his hand, shaking Tom's.

Jack greeted a few other people, and as he shook Matt's hand, Matt nodded at the counter, " Has Becky told you about her admirer? " he asked.

Jack raised his eyebrows at Becky, " You've got an admirer? "

Matt nodded, " Sent her flowers yesterday, and the day before. And sent this rose today. "

Becky looked up at Matt suspiciouly - from his tone of voice, she thought there was something going on, and it felt like he was trying to get some kind of reaction out of Jack.

Jack simply met Becky's eyes and smiled, " Really? Well, imagine that. "

There was a playful tone to his voice, but before Becky could really question it, the staffroom door opened, and Jim Williams, the head of humanities walked into the room.

" Mr Rimmer! " he cried, in his big booming voice, " Mr Lawson told me you were back around here! "

Jack shrugged, " I think maybe you can call me Jack these days. "

Williams laughed and shook Jack's hand, and then led him out of the room. Jack looked over his shoulder and gave Becky a smile, before leaving the room.

" Come on," Tom said, touching Becky's arm, " we've got to get going to the spelling bee. "

Becky shook her head, " I'm not coming," she said, though she slipped her arm through the arm he offered out to her, " I've got to pack up most of my office - should have started on it ages ago, but I left it all until the last minute. "

Tom smiled indulgently, as they started to walk down the corridors, " You need any help? "

She smiled, " You've got to go to the spelling bee," she told him, carefully starting down the stairs, clutching his arm, " and I'll be fine. I managed to get a load of old cardboard boxes from the kitchen, so all I'm going to be doing it stuffing things into them. You're the english department - you should go watch the kids. "

Tom nodded, " If you say so. "

Becky sighed and after a few moments, broke their comfortable silence, " Can you _believe _Jack's applying for a job here? "

When Tom didn't answer right away, she glanced at him, and he seemed to be struggling to find words, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, " You knew about it, didn't you? "

Tom smiled, giving it up, " Maybe. "

Becky rolled her eyes, " Then why didn't you _tell _me? "

They were outside her office now, and they stopped there.

" It was a surprise," Tom told her.

Becky sighed, " _Why _you all felt like you should keep this a surprise for me, I'll never know. I'll see you in a bit. "

She went into her office, and started putting her things into boxes. Her mind wandered to the gifts from her admirer - she started wondering who could have sent them.

There weren't too many people who'd be trying to win over a heavily pregnant woman, she thought. Surely no-one would want to be tied down to a woman with a newborn baby and a teenage girl.

Unless, she thought, he was their _dad_.

She'd immediately dismissed the notion when her friends brought it up the day before, but now she thought about it, it made more sense than she'd originally thought.

The notes meant that her admirer was someone she knew, and had said she'd see him very soon. And then he'd just ... turned up. That couldn't be a coincidence. And whoever had sent the gifts knew her favourites flowers and chocolates. Not many people would know that, now she thought about it.

She wondered if this could all be wishful thinking, though. She knew she'd still had feelings for him ever since they split up, even if she'd been too scared to admit them to anyone.

Maybe she just wanted them to be from Jack, since she had feelings for him - she was still in love with him.

And anyway, even if Jack wasn't behind the flowers he was _here. _Applying for a job _here. _

She thought about the last time she'd worked with Jack. They'd fallen in love the last time they worked together, and they had always made a good professional partnership. Working alongside Jack could be a good thing, even if they _weren't _together, because they knew each other well, and they made a good team.

She'd packed a big box of things up when she straightened up and turned around. Her eyes fell on the bunch of roses on her desk, and she smiled and moved towards them.

As she leaned forwards, she picked up the single white rose and smiled at it fondly, before leaning over and smelling the red roses. She smiled and as she smelt them and admired them, she heard the door open behind her.

She looked over her shoulder to see Jack standing there and she smiled.

" So you liked the flowers then," Jack said with a smile.

Becky automatically smiled, " Well yeah," she nodded, " they're beautiful. " She sighed happily and then realised that his words meant, " then ... hang on ... did you ... " she was completely confused and she continued, " did you ... they're from _you? "_

Jack nodded, his face completely unreadable, " Yes. "

Becky was so overwhelmbed by all of this, and she didn't know quite what to think of it. " But ... _why_? " she asked.

Jack shook his head, looking fed up, and quite serious, " Isn't it obvious? " he asked.

Becky had a pretty good feeling about what this meant, but she wanted to be told properly - she wanted to know exactly what was going on, and she shook her head, " No. Tell me. "

Jack shook his head. He slowly moved forwards and she watched him, aware that she was starting to hold her breath as she waited to see where this was going. She knew what she wanted, even if it scared the hell out of her, but she needed to know what _he _wanted.

He stopped in front of her and he took the white rose out of her hand - she hadn't even realised she was still holding on to it. He put it on the desk and then took his hand in hers.

He took her hands and closed his fingers around it. He held her hand and looked into her eyes.

" Rebecca," he said, his voice low and full of emotion, " I'm in love with you, for God's sake. I ever stopped loving you. "

Becky felt her breath draw in and she knew her eyes were filling with tears. She wanted to tell him she felt exactly the same, that she wanted to be with him forever - she wanted to tell him everything.

She even opened her mouth, about to say something, when they heard a lot of noise coming from outside. It sounded like the kids were running amock in the corridor, and Becky glanced at the clock - they should all still be at the spelling competition.

Jack let go of her hand - it sounded like something was going on outside.

Becky went over to the door, opened it, and stood in the doorway, watching the kids hurrying down the corridors, all talking quickly and excitedly, like something was going on.

She and Jack exchanged a confused look, and Becky tried to push away all the emotions she'd felt from Jack's little very recent revelation.

She saw Steph hurrying coming down the corridor, and called out the other woman's name.

Steph looked up when hearing her name and walked over to them. She looked surprised to see the pair of them in the office together and she looked at Becky, full of concern.

" Everything alright? " Steph asked.

Becky nodded, knowing there were still tears in her eyes and she tried to blink them away.

" What's going on? " Jack asked, " spelling competition over already? "

Steph sighed, " Well, we won," she said, " but the kids are all so excited because Stuart Hordley came in at the end and announced that Rachel Mason used to be a prostitute. "

Becky felt her jaw drop - it was like she was hearing something completely ridiculous.

" No. Way," she said, shaking her head.

Steph nodded, looking like she was loving giving out the gossip, " She admitted to it. She gave a little speech about how much she regretted it, but said she definitley _did _used to be a prostitute. And then she ran out of there. "

Becky couldn't believe it and she shook her head, " Poor Rachel," she said, " this'll kill her career. "

" If she used to be a prostitute, this shouldn't be her career anyway," Jack said.

Becky rolled her eyes, " It's not up to us to judge. "

Steph sighed, " Well, the kids'll be going crazy all day now. They'll completely have a field day. But anyway, they've all been sent back to their classrooms for the time being. "

Becky nodded, " Thanks Steph," she mumbled.

Steph left them to it, and Becky went back into the office and started scrabbling under her messy office for her office keys. Classes had actually been cancelled all day, but on a normal day she'd have a lesson to teach at this time, so she really had to get there.

" I've got a class to go to," Becky said apologetically, although she really wanted to carry on their conversation and get all of this straightened out.

Jack groaned, " But ... but what about us? " he asked, sounding annoyed, " I've just told you I'm in love with you, for God's sake. Don't I even warrant a response? "

Becky stopped searching and turned around to face him.

One look at him, told her that he was full of emotions, and his eyes were starting to fill up with tears. He looked so emotional and she knew exactly how he felt - so many weeks and months of their relationship being messed up, but still so many feeling lying underneath.

Becky sighed, unable to stop herself, " That's exactly it! Of _course _you warrant a response. But you deserve a proper response, but some 3 second reply before I have to run to my class. Can we talk about it later, please? "

Jack sighed, looking beaten down. " Look," he said, " if this is going to be bad news, can you just tell me now? "

Becky felt her heart leap and she shook her head. She reached out to take hold of his hand and squeezed it. As she looked into his eyes, she sighed, " Oh Jack, how could you ever think it's going to be bad news? " She shook her head, " can't you see what you mean to me? "

His eyes widened and he allowed a smile to cross his face, " Really? "

Becky nodded, " I have to go to my class," she said, wishing she didn't have to, " but I promise we'll talk about this later. "

Jack nodded and Becky smiled - she had a sudden feeling that everything was going to be alright and she got up on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

With a smile, she left the room, and Jack was left standing there looking in the direction that she just left in. He smiled to himself as his hand slowly came up to touch his cheek.

He grinned as his fingers touched the place her lips had been moments before.

He slowly reached into his pocket, thinking of the little blue box he'd been keeping in his pocket all day. He thought about the moment when he was going to present her with the box again, and see it's contents on her ring finger. He grinned again.

Becky found a bit of work for her class to do when she went to her classroom, although she was having a difficult job keeping them quiet and getting them to shut up about Rachel's past.

She was free the hour afterwards and went back to office, deciding to finished packing up her things.

She hadn't been there long when there was a knock at the door. Before she'd had chance to answer, Tom stormed into the office. He looked very annoyed, and he had Jack in tow.

Both men looked very very annoyed and Becky sighed as she put the folder she was holding, down on her desk, wondering what was wrong with them.

" We need a word," Tom said.

Becky shook her head, " What's going on? " she asked with a sigh.

Tom frowned, " There's something that you need to know. I picked up Jack on the way, and he ought to know too. "

Jack looked worried and he held up one hand, " Don't get worked up though. Stress isn't good for you. "

Becky rolled her eyes, " I know what good for me and what's not. Just tell me what's going on. And please try and sugar coat it, because I get the feeling I'm not going to like this. "

" Ok," Tom said, looking her in the eye, " Grantly's just been suspended. There's been a lot of cheating going on with the kids coursework apparently, and he's tried to bury it, and they've found out. "

Becky didn't respond immediately, and Jack added, " A-level coursework. "

Becky nodded, and then she realise. She shook her head, hoping they weren't telling her what she thought they were, " Hang on, tell me Maxine's not involved in this? "

Her heart sank at the look on Tom's face and he sighed, " I'm sorry. I thought you ought to know. "

Becky immediately felt furious - she couldn't describe how stupid this was, and she could hardly believe Maxine would do such a thing.

" I can't believe it," Becky said, shaking her head. It only took her a moment to decide what to do next, " I'm going to kill her. There's no other way - I'm going to kill that girl. "

As she left the office, she could think of nothing but her anger towards Maxine and how stupid what she'd done was, and she went to find her.

Maxine was in Matt's music lesson, and Becky asked Matt if she could have a word with Maxine.

Once they were in the corridor, Maxine smiled at Becky, " What's up? " she asked casually.

Becky narrowed her eyes, " What's up? _What's up? _Guess what Tom's just told me? "

Maxine looked worried and shook her head, " Becky ... I ... "

Becky shook her head, " Are you trying to tell me that you cheated on your english coursework? "

Maxine sighed. She looked sorry, and she shook her head, " I was only doing it to try and make you proud of me. If I cheated, I could get better grades, and you'd be proud of me. "

" For goodness sake," Becky sighed, " don't you think I'm proud of you anyway? I'd be proud of you whatever grades you got, as long as your tried your hardest. But this? This is ridiculous - you think pulling a stupid stunt like this makes me proud of you now? "

Maxine shook her head, " I was ... I didn't mean ... I ... I'm sorry. "

" Bit late for that," Becky said, shaking her head, " don't you realise how stupid this is? You're going to get expelled - you'll be leaving here with _no _qualifications now. You've messed up your future, when if you tried hard, you could have achieved on your own! "

Maxine sighed, " I'm sorry, really, I just ... I'm sorry. "

Becky paused and then sighed, " We'll carry this on later. But believe me, when you get home tonight, your dad and I will be having a very serious talk with you about all this. " Becky ran a hand through her hair, " I just can't believe you've done this - I wouldn't have thought you capable of it. I'm so ... god, I'm so disappointed in you. Get back to your class. "

Maxine hesitated for a moment, then mumbled an "I'm sorry" before going back into her classroom.

Becky was furious as she went back to her office, and by the time she got there, she'd managed to calm herself down a little, though she still couldn't believe Maxine would do that - she thought she'd taught Maxine better than that.

When she walked back into the office, Jack was standing there.

He took one look at the annoyance on her face and shook his head, " You shouldn't be getting worked up," he said, his voice full of warning, " it's not good for you. "

Becky shook her head, " You know what else is not good for me? Finding out my daughter is a lying little cheat. "

She noticed that Jack also looked very annoyed, and she was surprised that she'd been the one to blow up over it, rather than him. Unless, she supposed, he was going to go mental with Maxine later on, when they got out of school.

" I'm furious with her too," Jack said, " and quite thankful that she didn't pull this kind of stunt when I was headmaster, to be quite honest. But I imagine, she thought she had a good reason. "

" I know," Becky nodded, " but it doesn't stop me wanting to strangle her. "

She groaned and leant against her desk. As she paused to think, she reached out to touch one of the red roses, a slight smile crossing her face as she tried to forget about Maxine.

" Jack," she said, " can you please take my mind of Maxine, or I might go and kill her? "

Jack nodded, He stuck his hands in his pockets as he looked at her and then said, " Maybe we could have our conversation now? "

Becky just looked at him - the whole mood in the room seemed to change. They were back to their conversation about their love life - about their relationship, and about what could happen between them.

Becky wanted to get this right, and she knew they had to make sure they got this exactly right.

While she was thinking about it, Jack moved towards her. He reached out and took her hand, and her breath caught in her throat as he knelt down on the office floor in front of her.

" What're you doing? " she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

" Here's the deal," Jack said, holding her hand and looking into her eyes as he got on one knee in front of her, " I have never loved anyone liked I love you. From the moment we split up, I have never stopped loving you, and I don't want to face a life without you. "

She could already feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she let out a soft gasp when he pulled out a little blue box and opened it.

As soon as she saw her engagement ring sitting there, she knew she wanted all of it back.

Jack continued, " I want you, I want our baby, and I want Maxine - I want our family, and I want your love. I want you as my wife, and everything we planned before it all got so messed up. I didn't think it was possible, but Maxine told me you might still have feelings for me, and if there's even the _slightest _chance that we could be as happy as we used to be, then please let me know. "

Becky grinned and she blinked away her tears and reached out to take the ring from its box.

It felt right to be holding it again and she smiled, " You know, this'll never fit. Not with my stupid swollen fingers. "

Jack seemed to relax a little as he grinned, " You mean, you _want _it back? "

She grinned and carefully put the ring on the desk next to her, after sparing a glance to admire it. She turned back to Jack and put her hand back in his, squeezing his hands lightly.

" You've levelled with me," she said, " you I'll level with you. I've spent weeks, maybe months, considering the fact that I still had feelings for you, but I was too scared to admit it, in case it all went wrong. We've got a baby coming - we can't afford to screw it all up. "

Jack nodded, " I know. "

Becky smiled as she added, " But that being said, i do think we've moved on from ... from how things ended when we split up. We've been getting on great since the baby. I think - "

Jack nodded, interrupted, " I'd never - "

" I know," she agreed, knowing he was trying to tell her that he'd never cheat again, " I know. You'd never do anything to hurt me. I know. And I also know that I was never happier than when we were together. If ... if we were to get back together, it would have to be for keeps. "

Jack grinned. Slowly, he got to his feet, still keeping hold of both of Becky's hands.

Becky grinned as she looked up into his handsome face, " I _do _love you," she said.

Jack smiled and leaned in. They were both so happy, and it all felt so right. He reached out and laid his hand on her cheek, and leaned in to touch his lips with hers. She smiled into the kiss and felt a rush of electricity course through her as they kissed. When they broke apart, they were both grinned.

Jack glanced at the clock and sighed.

" I'm sorry, gorgeous," he said, shaking his head, " I've got to go. "

Becky pouted, holding his hands, " Really? You're going to love me and leave me, are you? "

Jack smiled, " I've got to meet with Eddie and Rachel again. Between you and me, it's looking very good for this job. This morning Eddie told me I was the best candidate on paper. I suppose he and Rachel have got enough on now with today's revelation, but I'd better get going. "

Becky sighed dramatically, " I suppose I can forgive you for leaving then, if it's to secure a job. But we're ... we're ... "

Jack grinned, cutting her off with a kiss to the lips, " We're good. We're more than good. Don't worry. Come see you later? "

She nodded at his suggestion, just feeling so happy to be back together with him, and feeling like everything was going right.

Jack grinned and left her office, and when he'd gone, she smiled to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been that happy, and she stood up and finished off packing up her boxes.

She hummed to herself as she packed up her things, and when she turned to her desk, her eyes fell on the engagement ring.

She grinned and reached out to the ring. Becky felt like everything was finally right, and she admired the ring. She tried to slip it back on her finger, where she felt like it rightfully belonged, but her fingers were just a little too swollen to accomodate it.

Instead, she smiled and reached around to take off her silver chain.

She grinned as she slid the engagement ring onto the chain and carefully fastened it back around her neck. It felt so right to be wearing her ring again, and she was contemplating that when it happened.

There was a huge explosion, and she gasped in horror and tried to get down as she heard the glass off the office shatter. She took a deep breath as she tried to steady herself, and in the corridor, she could hear screaming.

The explosion sounded like it had come from down the corridor, and she could hear chaos out there. She didn't have a clue what had just happened, and she looked around the office - the window had been blown straight through, and bit of the wall had been blasted off too.

Taking another deep breath, Becky slowly stood up. Once she was on her feet, she decided she felt alright, other than being shook up.

She went over to the door, and when she ripped it open, saw kids hurrying towards the fire exit, hoping for an escape. At the turned to look at the opposite end of the corridor, she saw the flames.

She could only assume that it originated from the canteen, which was what was down there, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She gasped - they were close to the fire, and she knew she had to get a move on to the fire exit.

" Rebecca! "

She looked up on hearing her name, and saw Matt hurrying over to her. As she stepped into the corridor, she coughed against the fumes and tried to cover her mouth with her hand.

" Are you alright? " Matt asked, reaching her side as she tried to stop spluttering.

She nodded, and saw the panic in Matt's eyes. This was hardly the best environment for a heavily pregnant woman, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively.

" Come on," he mumbled, feeling the need to protect her and help her.

She nodded and together they made their way to the end of the corridor, although she was of course in no position to be hurrying. The closer they got, the bigger the sense of doom that filled Becky as she realised that the kids were hammering against the door, but it didn't seem to be budging.

When they got to the others, Becky noticed Davina coughing and spluttering, and tried to reach out to her, while Bolton was at the front of the kids hammering against the door.

She had a sudden terrible feeling that she wasn't going to get out of this, and she could feel herself starting to panic. Her breathing was getting faster and faster and she ran her hand through her hair, trying to get a better look at the door.

" Kids! " Matt shouted, as he looked around the corridor, as if looking for another way out, " kids, don't panic. Don't panic! "

No-one was listening to him, and they were all screaming and banging on the door.

Becky shook her head as terrible thoughts started to run through her head, and she realised Matt's arm was still around her. He pulled her back from the crowd of kids a little.

" Ok," he said, " you ok? You should hang back a little - don't want you getting knocked over. "

Becky scoffed, " I'm going to be burnt alive at this rate anyway. "

Matt squeezed her shoulder, " Just keep calm. Best thing you can do is try to keep calm. "

As Becky watched Bolton trying to smash the door down, and trying to get through the window, which was covered in a thick metal wiring, she panicked.

Her mind immediately went to the worse possible scenario, and she kept thinking about the fact that she could die in this fire. She rested her hand on her pregnant belly, scared about the fact that she might never get to meet her baby - her baby might even be born.

She hoped Jack had gotten out alright. The fact that they'd just gotten back together, and now this had happened was unbelievable.

And then there was Maxine. She desperately hoped that Maxine had gotten out alright - if anything had happened to Maxine ... and after Becky had argued with her the very last time they saw each other. Had told her that she was a disappointment.

She hoped her beloved big brother had gotten out safe. And her cheeky godson, Donte. And Chlo and Mika. Well, and everyone, really. And she hoped they'd be able to get this door down, because the flames were starting to spread down the corridor slowly, towards them.

Becky coughed loudly and she could taste the smoke in her mouth and feel the fumes getting to her.

Worrying that she'd never see any of her family again, she reached into her pocket, and pulled out her phone.

She dialled Jack's number, whilst trying to keep a hand over her mouth to stop herself from inhaling the fumes. She bit her lip nervously as she hoped he'd pick up, and when he did, he immediately answered,

" Becky? Rebecca, where are you? "

Becky took in a deep breath, " Jack ... Jack I'm in the corridor. The corridor where my office is. The ... the door's stuck, we're trapped. " She sniffed as she tried to think straight, " Matt's here, and Davina, and some of the kids, and ... and ... "

" Oh God," Jack said, sounding rextremely worried, " you'll get out. You will. "

" But you're alright? " she asked quickly, " and Maxine? Tom - is Tom alright? Chlo, Mika and Donte? Jack, tell me that everyone else is alright? "

" Shhh, shhhh, everyone's fine," Jack said, " Maxine's here with me, Tom's gone to find Chlo - "

" Find Chlo? " she asked, a coughing fit taking over, and trying to answer through the coughs, " why, where's Chlo? "

" Don't worry," Jack said.

Becky sniffed, " Jack," she sighed, trying to stop herself from coughing, " Jack, if I don't make it - " she broke off to hack out a few coughs, and then spluttered as she continued, " I love you. You have to know that I would have been more than happy to become Mrs Rimmer. "

" Stop talking like this! " Jack demanded.

Becky could feel herself growing weaker, and struggling more and more with her breathing. She leaned against Matt as she mumbled, " I'm worried about the baby, Jack. "

" Rebecca," Jack said seriously, " someone will come and get you, if I have to come and drag you out of the building myself. I'll make sure people know you're in there. "

She nodded and then he'd hung up - obviously going to find someone and alert them.

As Bolton repeatedly smashed against the door, trying to wear it down, Becky closed her eyes for a moment and tired to concentrate. She felt herself growing weaker, and she winced as she started coughing again.

" So, you and Jack? " Matt asked Becky, trying to take her mind off it.

She nodded, trying to think straight, " We ... we sorted ourselves out, not long ago. It's all ... it's all back on. "

Matt nodded and smiled encouraginly, keeping his arm around her.

So was getting so worked up and worrying that she'd never see her loved ones again, and she knew stress wasn't good for her, but she didn't know what to do about it.

As she heard Bolton finally make some headway with the door, she suddenly felt a twinge from her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Davina slumping against the wall, but before she had chance to do anything to help her, she doubled over, both hands on her stomach.

" Becky! " Matt said urgently, " are you alright? "

Becky was about to answer, but she gasped in shock as she felt something trickling down her leg. She knew exactly what it was and she looked at Matt in horror, clutching at his arm.

" Oh my God," she whispered, " my water's ... they can't break! It's too early! He's not due for another 4 weeks. Matt, this can't be happening! "

As her voice started to rise hysterically, Matt reached his arm around her, rubbing her back soothingly. Just then, Bolton got the door open, and a very worried Becky could only think about her baby. She was so worried that something was wrong, and Matt helped her out of the school, arm around her back.

As soon as they got into the fresh air, Becky gripping Matt's arm very tightly in fear, and she felt like she was going to pass out as she did so.

She heard Matt's voice, and she knew he was trying to keep her calm - something which she greatly appreciated.

She saw Jack and Maxie hurrying towards her, as well as several paramedics, and she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks.

" Jack! " she shouted when he got closer to her, " Jack, the baby's coming! "

" But it's too early! " Jack said as he reached her side.

She nodded, trying to wipe her tears away, and he shook his head, leaning in and kissing the top of her head, " It's all going to be alright," he promised, " it's all going to be fine. "

As the paramedics led her towards an ambulance, she glanced over her shoulder to see Davina being put onto a stretcher. Panic hit her and she hoped everyone was alright.

She saw Tom hurtling towards her, and when he reached her side, he immediately pulled her into a hug.

" Jesus Christ," he breathed, " I was so worried. I thought I might never see you again. I ... Jesus - "

She interrupted him, " Tom, Tom, hang on. I've got to go. Your nephew is on his way, I think. "

Tom's eyes widened, " Seriously? Really? He's ... everything's alright, isn't it? "

Becky sniffed, trying to hold back more tears, " I think so. I don't know! What if something's wrong? " She was so worried that something had happened to her baby, although somewhat comofrted by the fact that other than her waters breaking, there was nothing else seemingly wrong with her - she was in no pain really.

One of the paramedic tried to reassure her that everything would be fine, and when they said they really should get her to hospital as soon as they could, Becky turned back to Tom, who by this time had noticed Davina's state.

" We've got to go," she said, " don't worry about me. Jack'll get in touch with you soon, and tell you what's going on. You go with Davina. "

Tom nodded and rushed off in Davina's direction, and Jack took Becky's hand and tried to reassure her as they walked off in the direction of the ambulance, hoping everything was alright with their baby.


	28. New Addition

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Authors Note: I know its been aaaaages since I updated this, but I'm trying to get back into it. This chapter will probably be short, just introducing baby Clarkson-Rimmer, then maybe a final chapter to end it all, and then hopefully into a series 4 story. **

Chapter Twenty-Eight

After going into labour at the school, the ambulance rushed a very panicked Becky to hospital. The paramedics were fussing over her and telling her to remain calm, and Jack was holding her hand tightly, mumbled words of comfort and reassurance over and over.

When they got to the hospital, Becky and her baby were checked over and she was assured that there were no complications, and she should be able to give birth to her baby without any more difficulty than an average birth.

She'd read all the baby books Tom had forced upon her, yet she still found herself ridiculously impatient at how long the whole process was taking. They were at the hospital all night and into the next morning.

Tom visited her early on, and told her Davina was in a fairly bad way, but was going to be fine. He told her he'd sort Maxine out, and that no-one else had been harmed in the fire as far as he knew - although he'd heard Rachel had been brought in for burns.

Becky eventually sent him back to Davina when his pacing and constant demands to know when it would be over, annoyed her too much. Jack promised to call him when Becky was closer to actually giving birth.

She held Jack's hand throughout the entire labour, and on several occasions he was certain that she'd broken it. She swore at him repeatedly, blamed him, and insisted that he was never going to be allowed to touch her again.

He grimaced with each threat, but held her hand and leaned over to kiss her forehead and brush her hair off her sweaty face, ignoring each promise that he would be castrated if he tried to touch her again.

Jack left the room to call Tom when the birth grew closer. Despite the fact it was now late the next morning, and over 20 hours since labour had begun, Tom had told her to ring him as soon as she wanted, and he'd be there.

Tom had, after all, been there for her during the pregnancy at every single stage, and was incredibly overprotective, as she was all he had except the girls, after losing their parents, Lorna and Izzie.

Finally, with a last push and an impossibly hard grip on Jack's hand, Becky felt the overwhelming sense of relief, and heard the little cry.

She gasped and felt her eyes fill up with tears as she saw the midwife hold the tiny baby. Her grip on Jack's hand loosened, but she kept hold, and she couldn't believe the overwhelming joy and pride that filled up inside her.

" Rebecca," the midwife said, holding up the baby so Becky and Jack could see, " you've got a very healthy little boy. "

She couldn't contain the tears that started to spill down her cheeks, and she had never felt such love for anyone. She knew she'd loved the baby before he was born, but now he was here, and the feelings were so heightened. And from what she could see of him so far, he was perfect.

When the midwives cut the chord, they turned away with the baby and Becky looked up at Jack, her eyes wide.

" J-Jack," she said, tearfully, " where are they taking him? What's wrong? "

Jack smiled, his voice sounding thick, as if he was about to cry, and he shook his head, " He's fine, love, he's fine. They're just cleaning him off for you. "

" I want to see him," Becky mumbled, clinging to his hand.

Jack felt a sudden rush of affection towards her, and every feeling of love he'd ever had for her was intensified beyond belief after what he'd just witnessed.

He chuckled, squeezing her hand lightly, " Don't worry, we'll get him in a minute. "

Becky nodded and she laid her head back against the pillow, feeling completely tired. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then after a moment, opened her eyes and looked at Jack.

" I ... I did," she said, a slow smile spreading across her face, " We did it, Jack. "

" _You _did it," he grinned, " we've got a son, Becky! "

" Oh, my God," Becky whispered, the tears flowing down her cheeks. Jack laughed, looking close to tears himself, and he reached out to softly wipe the tears away with his thumb.

Becky smiled happily at the feeling of his skin on hers, and he grinned too, and leaned in. She smiled as he lightly pressed his lips to hers, and she knew that this was right.

She and Jack were back together, and this was exactly how things should be.

A look of excitement passed between them as they realised they were about to start a whole new journey together, raising a baby together as entering into marriage, as well as looking after their teenage foster daughter.

The midwife turned back to her, with the baby now wrapped up in a big white towel.

" Here's your son," the midwife said, holding the little boy carefully, " do you want to be the first to hold him, Rebecca? "

Becky didn't even think before answering "yes" before guiltily looking up at Jack. Jack however, was grinning too widely to argue over who got to hold their son first.

Becky eagerly positioned her arms, and when the baby was laid in her arms, she gasped.

She couldn't take her eyes from him - he was tiny, and she couldn't quite believe he was so small.

" He's ok, isn't he? " she heard Jack ask at her side, " he _was _a few weeks early ... he's ok? "

The midwife chuckled at the first time parents, " He's a very healthy little boy. He wasn't too early - most babies born at this stage do perfectly well. "

" He's gorgeous," Becky breathed. Her son was tiny, and he looked so fragile and breakable. He looked like a little doll, and his little eyes were just staring around. His eyes were blue, and Becky wondered if they'd stay exactly as they were now, or become the dark-blue that Jack's were, or the pale blue her own were. He already had little tufts of hair that seemed to the the exact shade of Jack's.

Becky were completely in awe of him, and she just held the little boy, a huge grin on her face.

" Hey little baby," she mumbled, " I'm your Mummy. Nice to finally meet you. "

Jack laughed, and he sat down beside her. He eagerly leaned over to look at his son, and he was ready to burst with pride when he saw the baby. He grinned and reached out to pull the towel a little away from his son's face to get a better look, and he carefullly brushed a finger against the boy's cheek.

" Can't quite believe it," Jack mumbled, " I've got a son. _I'm _a dad. It ... it doesn't sound ... _real. "_

Becky grinned, " Well, you'd better believe it. He's gorgeous, isn't he? I think he looks like you - do you think so? "

Jack shrugged, " Maybe. I don't know, I think he's got your nose. He's so ... _perfect. _"

Becky grinned and she could think of othing more fasincating right now, than looking at her son. She felt like she could look at him forever, and she and Jack exchanged few words as they sat there and stared at their son, feeling unbelieveably proud.

After God only knew how long, Becky finally pulled her eyes away from her son, leaning her head back against the pillow and closing her eyes. She was completely and utterly shattered, but she didn't move her arms, keeping a firm but careful hold on her baby.

Jack, who had been stroking his baby's tiny arm, smiled fondly, " D'you want me to take him?"

Becky laughed a little, " You mean you've spent the past half an hour watching me with him, and now you're jumping at your turn? " She opened her eyes, grinning at his eagerness, and she slowly and carefully handed him over.

Jack looked like he was about to cry as he took his son in his arms and held him tenderly.

" Thank you, by the way," Jack said, looking across at his thoroughly exhausted partner.

She smiled, closing her eyes again, " What're you thanking me for? " she asked, her arms suddenly feeling empty without the weight of her son in them.

" Giving me our baby, of course," Jack said.

Becky smirked a little, " Oh. That. Well, you're welcome. After all, I had a little help, didn't I? So thank _you._ "

Her eyes were still closed, but she could hear the smirk in Jack's voice as he responded, " Well, you're quite welcome too. "

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, and Becky finally felt herself regaining a little energy. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up a little, looking across at Jack and the baby.

" How d'you feel? " Jack asked, bouncing their baby up and down lightly and just having so much love in his eyes.

" Knackered," Becky said, " but impossibly happy. "

Jack grinned, " As long as you're ok. He's fantastic, isn't he? "

" He's perfect," Becky agreed, " and you know, we're going to have to give him a name. "

Jack nodded, " Yes we are. He won't appreciate being called "baby" when he's 31. " He shuffled closer to Becky so she could reach over with one hand and take hold of her son's tiny hand.

They'd discussed names before, but it had never reached a solid decision, because they'd wanted to see what their baby looked like first.

" So, what's his name? " Jack asked Becky.

Becky smiled, " Well, I know I liked James and Dylan best out of our options, and you were really fighting for James. And I have to say, he looks like a James. "

Jack looked up at her sharply, " Really? "

" Unless you've changed your mind," she nodded, " but I think it's perfect. "

" No, no, me too," Jack grinned, looking down at their son, " I just thought you might try and push for something else. You've spent months arguing with me over what we'd call him, and now he's here, and the decision was so ... quick. Little James Clarkson-Rimmer. "

" I thought ... maybe just Rimmer, actually," she told him, meeting his eyes and wondering what kind of reaction this would get. Jack's eyes lit up and he ginned, " You're sure. That's ok? "

" Well, unless you've decided you don't want to get married anymore," she shrugged.

" You think I'm likely to have changed my mind since I declared my undying love for you yesterday, and desperately tried to win you back? " he asked, shaking his head with a fond smile.

" Well, when you put it like that ... I just ... God, Jack, I just really want to marry you. I want us to have everything we deserve, and I damned well intend on spending the rest of my life with you. What's the point double-barelling his name, and then getting married? We're going to be a proper family, and we're going to do it under your name. "

Jack nodded, looking down at his son.

" Hello James Rimmer," he grinned, " I'm your daddy, and your mummy and I are going to look after you forever and ever. And you're going to be completely spoilt, aren't you? "

Becky giggled, " Well, of course he is. Only the best for my little boy. "

" And," Jack continued, completely in love with his little boy already, " you've got a big sister who's going to love you, uncles, aunties, cousins and grandparents who are all going to spoil you rotten. "

After a moment, he frowned and looked up at Becky again, " Have you got a middle name for him? I tried thinking of one, but there was nothing that really stood out. James just fits him but I don't want to give him a middle name that doesn't mean anything. "

Becky nodded, " I had one, actually. Was thinking about it, the other day. "

" Yeah? "

" I thought Thomas. Tom," she said, " obviously, after _my _Tom. But if you don't want to, then that's ok. "

Jack nodded, " I think it's perfectly alright for you to want to give him Tom's name. Tom's been there for you all the time, and was there for the entire pregnancy, at every stage that I should have been there for. "

Becky nodded, " It's not just that," she said with a sigh, " Tom's been there every single time something got difficult in life. When we were teenagers, he'd shout at me and berate me everytime I tried to sneak in late, but he'd hide it from mum and dad, and he'd always hold my hair back ad buy me the paracetemol when I was hungover. He was there when I broke up from every stupid worthless boyfriend - present company excepted of course, honey - when mum died, and dad died. When Lorna and Izzie died, we leaned on each other. And now with the baby. I think Tom's done more for me than anyone ever has. "

Jack smiled, " You and him are such big softies. I think it's a great middle name. "

They spent a long time just staring at James Thomas Rimmer, feeling happier than they ever had in their lives, and it seemed like they'd been there for ages when there was a knock at the door to their room.

Becky was currently holding the baby again, and when the door opened, Tom walked in.

" I hear I've got a nephew somewhere around here? "

" You certainly have," Becky nodded, " and he's beautiful. "

As he walked into the room, Tom held up a large bunch of flowers in one hand, and he held a blue balloon in the other. Becky smiled in appreciation as he put them both down, and he seemed to linger, a little nervous.

" Come here," Becky commanded, " you've spent months and months driving me crazy by telling me what's good for me and what's not, so you can damned well get over here and see the results. "

Tom raised one eyebrows, and Jack laughed at his expression, " Don't worry about it, mate, she's been this snappy with me for hours too. I've been getting death threat for hours. "

Becky narrowed her eyes at him - well aware that her emotional state was up and down and everywhere now - " That's because," she said carefully, " you're the one responsible for all the pain I went through. "

Tom grinned and Becky grinned too, her mock-sharp words to her fiance already forgotten in her elated mood, " Come on, Uncle Tom," she said, " d'you want to hold him? "

Tom looked a bit taken aback, " Erm, I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I wouldn't know how. "

" Jack and I don't know much better," Becky scoffed, " you'll be fine. Here, hold your arms out. "

Very carefully, she passed her son to her brother, who took hold of him slowly and carefully. Once Tom had hold of his nephew, he grinned, " Oh wow," he mumbled, taking in the sight, " Becky, he's brilliant. "

" He is, isn't he? " Becky nodded proudly.

" So, what's he called? " Tom asked, as Jack reached out to take hold of one of Becky's now-free hands. Becky smiled happily and laced her fingers through his.

" James," Becky replied, smiling.

Tom nodded, " That's nice. Suits him. I thought you were going with Dylan? "

Becky shook her head, " James just stole it. I just knew it was his name when I looked at him. "

" Yeah," Jack added, " besides, we could always called the next one Dylan. "

The smile on Becky's face faltered, and when Tom looked at her, he felt sorry for Jack, realising he'd said exactly the wrong thing. Tom held his nephew closer and took a step back, away from the conflict that was sure to arise.

" I beg your pardon? " Becky asked slowly, her grip on Jack's hand tightening without her even realising.

Jack's eyes widened as he attempted to back out, " Um ... I just meant ... we could always use that name ... another time. Not soon, of course ... I ... I mean - "

" I just went through 20 hours of agony to bring your child into the world, and putting me through it all over again, is already on your mind? " Becky demanded, " were you not listening to all the times I told you what would happen if you ever dared to get me pregnant again? "

Jack cleared his throat, " You know, I, um, I should go ring some people. Tell them I have a son. And tell them I love them, before my enraged fiance kills me. "

" Maybe you should," Becky nodded.

Jack distangled his hand from hers and crossed the room, and he was at the door, he turned back to face her, " Would "I love you" help in this situation? "

Becky's expression softened and her lips twitched into a smile, but she rolled her eyes, " Go tell your family you have a son. "

When Jack was gone, Tom sat down in the seat he had vacated and kept looking down at his new nephew and marvelling over how amazing he was.

" How are you, then? " Tom asked.

Becky sighed, " Knackered, but otherwise ok. More than ok - I can't remember the last time I was so happy. I've got a child! I'm a mum! It's the best feeling in the world, Tom. "

" Good," he mumbled.

" How's Maxine? " she asked, " or for that matter, where's Maxine? Did you tell she and the girls about the baby? "

Tom nodded, " She's fine. She and Chlo and Mika were only just getting out of bed this morning when I left to come here. I told them the news and they're all thrilled for you, of course. Ran into Donte as I was leaving too - he was on his way to see Chlo. He's thrilled for you too. And about you and Jack ... you're engaged again then? "

" We are," Becky nodded, " it's all back on. Everything. He's the best thing that ever happened to me Tom, and I know it messed up but things are different now. I mean, just _look _what he's given me. Told me he loved me and wanted me back yesterday, just before the fire, and I'm sure you know I never really stopped loving him. Everything's how it was meant to be. So you can expect to be giving me away in the next few months. "

"Good for you," Tom mumbled, " and just so you know, I'm going to be the best uncle there ever was, to this little guy. "

" I know," she said, " which is why we've named James partly after you. His middle name is Thomas. "

" It is? " Tom asked, completely shocked.

Becky nodded, thrilled at the look on his face, as he was clearly very happy about it, " After all the times you've been there for me, it was well deserved. I know you'll look after James the way you've always looked after me. "

Tom shook his head, " It's just what brothers do for their little sisters. "

" Oh please," she scoffed, " we both know you've always gone above and beyond for me. So thank you. For everything. "

Tom smiled and after a few moments, he looked up at her, " Congratulations, then, by the way. On everything. "

Looking down at his nephew, he added, " I'm your Uncle Tom, by the way, and I will always be here to buy you things your Mummy won't let you have, take you to places your Mummy doesn't approve of and teach you words that she'll hit us both for using. "

Becky rolled her eyes, and when Tom caught the look on her face, he simply looked innocent as he held the baby.

" What? We're bonding! "


	29. Happy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Chapter Twenty Nine

2 days later, Becky stood with her hands on her hips in the hospital car park. She and baby James had been discharged from the hospital, and she was now taking her son home with her for the first time.

Over the past 2 days she'd become extremely comfortable with the idea of being a mother, and she already knew that she loved her son more than she could describe, and more than she ever thought it was possible to love.

Both she and Jack were extremely happy and loved the idea of being parents, and loved James beyond measure.

They'd had several visitors over the past few days - Tom had barely left, and Becky could already picture him as the perfect uncle, always doting on his nephew, and always being there for him.

Tom had brought Maxine to the hospital a few hours after James had been born, and she'd been wary of the baby at first and unsure of how on earth to act.

Yet when she saw him, and saw how happy her foster parents were, she knew that this was her brother, and the first time she held him in her arms, she knew she loved him just as much as she would have loved any brother or sister by blood, or would have loved the baby she herself had miscarried two years ago. She knew she would always protect this brother, and she would always love him.

The next day, Tom had brought Mika, Chlo and Donte with him. Becky's two almost-nieces cooed over James, though they had a hard time getting to hold him with Tom wanting to constantly hold him. Even Donte, who didn't think he'd ever met a baby (well, he had admitted, not since he was one himself) had had to admit his godmother's son was amazing.

Tom had also told Becky that Davina had been let out of the hospital after been treated after the fire, and he and Davina were very much together now.

Becky watched Jack putting James into his carseat, in the back of Becky's beloved car.

" I still don't understand why we can't go out some place," Becky frowned.

She just _knew _that Jack was rolling his eyes, even though she couldn't see him, as she stood behind him, trusting him to put the baby in the carseat by himself.

" Because we're taking James home," Jack said patiently.

Becky narrowed her eyes at his back, " I've been in hospital for the past few days, after hours and hours of pushing _your _child into the world, and you want to _argue _with me? "

Jack turned around to face her and raised his eyebrows, " Are you going to use this whole childbirth thing in every discussion we ever have? "

Becky's lips twitched in amusement and she shrugged, " Maybe. I haven't quite decided yet. " She rested her hand on his arm and gently moved his out of the way so she could see James, and she smiled in satisfaction when she saw James strapped in safely.

She closed the car door and then looked back at Jack, " I was only asking that we go out for lunch or something, I just want to _go _somewhere, or _do _something. "

Jack smiled, " We _are _going somewhere," he said, " we're taking our son to his home. "

Becky nodded, and although she wanted to go somewhere, she gave in. She smiled slightly, and Jack smiled too. He briefly planted a kiss on her forehead as he passed her to go round to the driver's side of the car.

As they drove home, Becky spent far more time turning around to look at her sleeping son than she did paying attention to the driver of the car, and by the time they pulled up outside the house, and Becky turned to look at Jack, Jack was already looking at her in amusement.

" Remembered I'm here, have you? " he asked, his voice full of teasing.

Becky grinned, " I'm sorry honey, but you can't compete with James. "

Jack pretended to pout and Becky giggled and reached out to rest her hand on his cheek. She leaned in a pressed her lips to his and Jack returned the soft kiss - Becky could feel his smile against her lips, and when they broke apart, he had a biggest smile on his face.

Becky looked up at the house, and she grinned too, getting out of the car.

She briefly considered taking the baby out of the car seat, but thought better of it, and felt thankful that Tom had bought her the very best car-seat he could find, and she could easily take it from the car.

She unfastened the car seat and was suprised that James was still sleeping soundly.

Once she had the car-seat in her arms, holding it tightly and very closely to her in a protective manner, Jack was at her side.

" You look so natural," he said.

Becky scoffed, " I porbably looked exhausted and terrified. "

" Yeah, but you look bloody brilliant too," Jack said, opening the boot and starting to get out all the things they'd brought back from the hospital.

" Language," Becky said mildly, starting down the garden path. Jack followed her down the path, and when they got to the house, he balanced everything in one arm as he unlocked the front door.

They went into the house, and Becky shouted to the hosue in general, " Maxy! We're home! " She then looked down at the baby in the carseat she was carrying, " Well James," she said with a grin, " this is your home. "

She put the carseat down and as she started to take her coat off, her son's eyes opened and he looked up at her with big blue eyes. Becky grinned as she threw her coat over the bannister, and she knelt down to look at her baby.

" Hey, you're awake," she said, " so, this is home. It's alright, isn't it? "

The baby blinked and gurgled, and Becky took this as a good sign. She nodded approvingly, " I thought you'd think so, sweetie. "

Jack chuckled, " You'll soon learn kiddo, that agreeing with your mother is the best thing to do in all situations. "

Becky raised her eyebrows, " Is it? " she asked Jack, standing up, " then why don't you _do_ it more often? "

Jack shrugged, " It would make life incredibly boring, love. "

Becky couldn't resist a smile and she knew she'd never been as happy as she had in the last few days, even if she was tired all the time and thought she'd never get the hang of motherhood.

She leaned down to pick up the car seat and then frowned as she looked up the staircase, " Where's Maxine? "

" Maybe she's in here," Jack said casually, moving towards the living room door.

Becky accepted this rather easily, and followed Jack into the living room. As soon as she'd walked through the door, there was a colossal roar of "suprise" and "congratulations" and Becky gasped as she saw her living room full of people.

There was a large blue banner over the fireplace that read "It's a boy" and there were big blue balloons around the room. She saw a pile of presents sitting on the sofa, and around the room were Tom, Maxine, Chlo, Donte, Mika, Brett, Davina, Matt and Jasmine.

Becky grinned and turned around to look at Jack, " Did you know about this? " she asked.

Jack shrugged, " I might have done," he replied, although his grin gave him away. She smiled at how impossibly cute he was and knew that he had to have known about it - they wouldn't have all come around without checking that Jack thought Becky would be up for it.

" Oh, this is why you didn't want to go anywhere! " she said, " Oh, honey. "

" Never mind him," Tom said loudly, " we came to see James, not to see you two being all cute and in love. "

" Came to see James? " echoed Donte, shaking his head, " you've barely left him since he was born. "

Tom shrugged, " Yeah well, he's my nephew, isn't he? "

" Oh guys," Becky said as she looked around at everyone, " thanks for all this. I didn't expect to see any of you here! "

" Well, we had to come and see the baby," Matt said with a grin.

" We came bearing gifts," added Jasmine.

" Then you're always welcome," Becky grinned, as Jack rested a hand on her back. He gently nudged her forwards, " Go on love, sit down, you should be resting. "

" I'm fine," she said, although she crossed the room and sat down in the armchair, putting the car seat down on the floor beside her. Jack greeted everyone in the room while Becky settled into the chair, and once everyone had greeted the couple, everyone sat down and relaxed.

" So," Becky said, as she very carefully lifted her baby out of the carseat and cradled him to her chest, " everybody, this is James Thomas Rimmer, our lovely little boy. "

" That's a lovely name," Davina said.

Matt nodded and jerked his thumb towards Tom, " Don't suppose this one here was an inspiration? "

" He might have been," nodded Becky, smiling proudly at the baby, " does anybody want to hold him? "

Tom opened his mouth, and Becky added, " Not you. No-one else will get a look in if you get hold of him. " She glanced around the room - Maxine had spent plenty of time holding her brother, and Donte had made it clear that he was more than scared of holding the baby, while her nieces were also eager to hold the baby.

" Matt," Jack said, " why don't you take him? "

" Me? " Matt asked, " why me? "

" Why not? " Jack returned.

Becky nodded, and Matt moved to come and sit next to her. He tried to position his arms, and a very cautious Becky passed him over, keeping a close eye on them.

" I think we ought to be thanking you actually, Matt, " Jack said, " after all, you were with Becky when the fire broke out. "

" Yeah, but I didn't do anything," Matt insisted, not looking up from the baby in his arms.

" You did enough," Jack said, " Becky tells me that you were there with her, and you kept her calm, and helped her not to panic, and made sure she was ok. That's certainly something to me. "

" Absolutely," Becky nodded, " thank you, Matt. "

Matt blushed a little and shook his head, " Don't get all soppy on me. Look, there's your present - the one in the red bag - open that, why don't you? "

Jack crossed the room and came to sit on the arm of the armchair, while Becky curled up in the chair, and together they started opening their presents.

They'd already been given several things before James' birth. Tom had bought the car seat and the crib. Becky remembered the moment when Tom had told her their parents would have been so happy about having, and told her he'd heard that grandparents usually bought the baby something big, so he felt he ought to do it in their stead.

Jack's parents had bought a lovely big pram for their grandchild, and Rachel had presented Becky with a moses basket filled with goodies from all her collegues at the school.

Becky and Jack opened their presents to find baby monitors from Jasmine, lots of clothes from Davina and more clothes from Matt - Becky was sure these would come in handy.

Her friends stayed for hours, during which time they cooed over the baby and all took turns to cuddle with him.

The teenagers had gotten bored after a while, and Chlo, Maxine, Mika, Donte and Brett had all gone to the chippy a few streets away. It seemed that Chlo and Donte, and Mika and Brett were happily back together.

When the time came for everyone to leave, James was soundly sleeping in his Moses Basket, which Jack had lined with the bedding and set up while Becky was at the hospital. Becky had to hand it to Rachel - the Moses basket was brilliant.

Becky thanked everyone for coming around, but once they'd all left, she was tired and quite pleased that she had some time to herself.

" Well," Jack said once she'd shut the front door, " house to ourselves. "

" Not quite ourselves," Becky said, " we've got a little baby these day. "

Jack grinned, " Come on," he said, taking hold of her hand and leading her towards the living room. He sat down in the armchair, and Becky slowly knelt on the floor to look at James.

She peered into the Moses basket and saw that he was sleeping. He looked like a little doll, and she couldn't resist leaning over and stroking his tiny cheek with her fingertips, pausing to think about how beautiful he was.

Satisfied that he was comfortable and safe, she releaxed and drew herself up to standing position. She smiled as she looked at the banner and balloons, and then looked at Jack.

Without any words, she moved over to him, and slowly settled herself into his lap. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, shifting so they were both comfortable.

" I love you," he said simply.

She smiled, leaning back against him and resting her head against his shoulder. " Love you too. "

" Got something for you, actually," Jack grinned. She felt him moving a little beneath her, and then she sat up a little to see him holding out something, " I think you can have this back now, don't you? "

Becky grinned, " I should hope so," she said as she saw exactly what he was holding.

When Jack had presented her with the engagement ring on the day of James' birth and confessed his love, her fingers had been too big for her to wear it, and she'd entrusted it back into Jack's care.

Jack looked pointedly down at her hand and she obliged, holding the left out and spreading her fingers out. He took hold of her hand and slowly slid the ring on, before pulling her into short but sweet kiss.

" So, I was thinking about the wedding earlier actually," Becky said.

Jack raised his eyebrows, " Oh yeah? "

Originally, she and Jack had gotten egaged at Christmas and planned a wedding for the following Christmas. It was now the 2nd week in June, and Becky didn't plan on waiting as long this time.

" I thought ... unless you want to wait ... I want to get married sooner rather than later," she confessed, looking into his eyes to see the same joy she felt reflected back at her.

" How soon? " Jack asked eagerly.

Becky giggled at his reaction, and she shrugged, " Well, I was thinking summer. You know, in quite a few weeks, because I think the little one's going to keep us busy for quite a while. But I thought before the end of August? "

Jack nodded, " I want to be married to you - I want whatever you want, love. But, are you sure? I mean, before when we planned the whole big wedding, and you were going to have a big christmas fairytale thing ... "

" I don't need that," Becky replied, " I just need you. I want to be your wife - I want the marriage, not the wedding. I thought maybe we could just go to the registry office, keep it small. Family. "

" You want to get married in the summer? " he asked, reaching out to cup her cheek with one hand.

" Well, at least before I go back to the school before the end of maternity leave - which will be the end of October, or perhaps the beginning of November. I just want to be Mrs Rimmer, and I want everyone to know me as Mrs Rimmer from the off," she said, closing her eyes at the feeling of his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

" If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get," Jack said, " as long as you're sure. "

" More than sure," Becky breathed, feeling the warmth radiating off him as he seemed to be leaning closer. Her eyes still closed, she could feel him leaning in, and she grinned when his lips met hers.

They were mid-kiss when they heard the sound of crying.

Becky groaned as they broke apart, and Jack sighed, " And so it begins. "

" Oh honey, we've got years of this to come," Becky said, getting off his lap. She leaned down and her voice took on a high childish quality as she started talking to her baby. She lifted him up and started trying to figure out what was wrong.

Ten minutes later, a frantic Becky had finally managed to make him stop crying, when the front door closed loudly and he started again. She groaned loudly and glared at Jack,

" This is all your fault, you know. "

" Why is it _my _fault? " he asked, shaking his head as he watched Becky bouncing him up and down and mumble to him.

" Well I've got to blame _someone," _Becky reasoned.

Maxine came into the living room and leaned against the doorway.

" Looks like you two didn't know what you were letting yourselves in for," she said, " I get the feeling you'll be dealing with a lot of this. "

Becky looked at Jack and narrowed her eyes, taking a break from pleading with James to stop crying for her, " And _you _were already planning the next baby. "

Jack shrugged, " I love you? " he offered.

Becky rolled her eyes, but she knew that from now on, she and Jack were going to be solid, and nothing would seperate them.

**Author's Note: That's the end of this story, I'll be getting up a story about series 4 next. **

**When reading my Rebecca Clarkson stories, I realised that Becky and Jack were both friends with Kim and Andrew yet when Kim and Andrew left for Rwanda, they never heard from them again. So I think I'll have them getting in touch somehow in the next story, because Becky became close to them both, and after the death's of Izzie and Lorna, she'd have wanted to cling on to her friends, so it seems odd that she never kept in touch with Kim and Andrew. **

**Anyway, from what I can remember, plot lines for the next story are - Jack and Becky working together at WR both as history teachers, a wedding for Becky and Jack, and them bringing up a baby, Maxine's relationship with Earl and her death, Kim's return and the baby she brings with her, Chloe's pregnancy and Andrew's return.**

**Let me know if there's anything you really want to see in the next story. **


	30. End Note

Note

The sequel to this is up now and available on my profile, and follows Becky and Jack through another year at Waterloo Road. 

Storylines it is set to include are: Jack and Becky working together at WR both as history teachers, a wedding for Becky and Jack, and them bringing up a baby, Maxine's relationship with Earl and her death, Kim's return and the baby she brings with her, Chloe's pregnancy and Andrew's return.

Let me know if there's anything else you want to see :)


End file.
